Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Albert Breer shuts down crazy Deebo Samuel 49ers-Patriots trade rumor
Feb 17, 2023 at 8:54 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
This week, during
Felger & Mazz, a Boston-area show on WBZ-FM radio, executive producer James Stewart told hosts Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti that he received a text message from an NFL talent evaluator that the New England Patriots were evaluating wide receiver options. He stated that one of those options was a San Francisco 49ers star. Stewart reported that the
Patriots were "sniffing around" Deebo Samuel.
This rumor didn't make much sense for many reasons, the biggest being the financial impact of such a deal. If San Francisco parted ways with Samuel before June 1, the team would reportedly take on $28 million in dead money. However, believable or not, the rumor started to gain some steam on social media.
On Thursday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shut down the rumor during
Early Edition with Trenni Casey and Phil Perry.
"I checked in with somebody who would absolutely know on this, and they said, 'A) We're not trading him and B) They haven't called,'" Breer said
via NBC Sports Boston. "So wherever this is, it hasn't gotten to the Niners' desks. This isn't something that's been on the table for them at all."
Breer warns to never say never, though. While nothing appears imminent right now, or even at all this offseason, that doesn't mean the 49ers would ignore the possibility down the road.
"Now, you look at the Niners' history, could they be enticed to do something like that?" Breer continued. "Well, I look back at what happened in 2020 when they had to take care of both
Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. And their solution to that was, we're going to pay Arik Armstead, and we're going to trade DeForest Buckner. So they've been creative in these situations before.
"
Brandon Aiyuk is going to be up in the next couple of years, and he's eligible for a new deal now. So could this evolve that way? Sure. But there's no meat on the bone there as of right now."
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Brandon Aiyuk's agent denies rumor that 49ers WR has requested trade
A sketchy rumor surfaced on Sunday morning, alleging that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had requested a trade.
BREAKING: Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade from the 49ers, per confirmation from my San Francisco source. Benjamin Allbright & 49ersSportsTalk have also done some preliminary reporting on this story. As of Sunday morning, April 14, the Steelers have been the… pic.twitter.com/plCkQo87lj— John Frascella (Football) (@LegendSports7)
Rumor: Steelers believe they can acquire 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk at a bargain
According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate.
"According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price."
While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft
Deebo Samuel and Brock Purdy are why the 49ers can afford to pay Brandon Aiyuk
It's evident that the San Francisco 49ers engaged in long-term financial planning. Much discussion has centered around the feasibility of the team committing significant financial resources to two wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Some skeptics question the wisdom of such heavy investment in a single position, especially considering that the 49ers handed Samuel a substantial three-year extension merely two years ago.
Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
Mike Silver on how Deebo Samuel's contract might be the starting point for a Brandon Aiyuk extension
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
