Just two short years ago, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, not Brandon Aiyuk, played the lead role in that all-too-familiar, dramatic NFL storyline of the summer. Media and fans alike incessantly wondered if, or possibly when, the San Francisco 49ers might trade Samuel to one of several understandably interested teams.
Eventually, though, the 2023 All-Pro put pen to paper, signing a three-year contract extension through the 2025 season with $58.1 million in guaranteed money. But remember, while that ongoing saga between Samuel and the 49ers felt like things were hanging in the balance forever, that contract was actually signed on July 31, allowing for well over a month of drama-free football preparations for the team leading up to Week 1 of the 2022 season.
Fast forward to the "Summer of Aiyuk," and we have basically gone bookend to bookend, with the fourth-year wideout and the 49ers finally—at long last—locking things up on Thursday with an extension worth $120 million and a whopping $76 million guaranteed.
This incredibly prolonged and awkward "hold-in"—which was well on its way to becoming an official holdout with Aiyuk becoming a no-show at practice—is thankfully no longer a story that featured a maniacal number of updates and rumors on a daily basis that more often than not included some variation of an already recycled trade scenario.
Brandon Aiyuk is officially under contract with the 49ers through the 2028 season, and that's a great win for both him and the franchise.
But since we can't have nice things and must instead have a new, fresh slab of meat on the table, no one is allowed to celebrate this long-awaited moment or even exhale for a minute. With the ink barely dry on the paper, we are already in the midst of being force-fed another dramatic 49ers narrative, which is ironically reverting directly back to Deebo Samuel and his presumed fate with San Francisco. Again.
Look no further than NFL insider Mike Silver's post on X, which he dropped approximately 32 minutes after ESPN's Adam Schefter dropped the news bomb announcing Aiyuk's four-year extension.
The 49ers will get overtures regarding Deebo Samuel between now and the trade deadline. Right now--highly unlikely they'd trade him. Early November? Depends on a lot of things.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) August 29, 2024
It's a safe bet that this one will, unfortunately, maintain some level of sustainability regardless of what happens on the field throughout the upcoming season, but can we please make a valiant attempt to back up from this overly presumptuous Deebo exit for just a moment?
Even if the 49ers find themselves fighting for a Wild Card spot during their final stretch of games, trading away one of their key offensive weapons during the regular season sounds so preposterous it's become laughable to believe it's actually become a living, breathing point of discussion.
Keep in mind, this season's NFL trade deadline will be on the Tuesday following Week 9. The 49ers will have played exactly eight games by then. If anything, general manager John Lynch will be looking to bolster the team's already loaded roster, just as he has in years past—not shed it.
While the 49ers still do have to deal with the Trent Williams holdout, it seems that situation will be resolved sooner than later despite his apparent "not playing around" stance. Yes, having "Silverback 71" take the field in Week 1 is looking less and less likely, but Williams is fully expected to be with the 49ers this season. So make no mistake; this Kyle Shanahan-led team remains a clear-cut Super Bowl contender.
Coincidentally, leading that charge this summer and setting the tone with that Super Bowl mindset from day one has been Deebo Samuel, who had only missed one practice heading into the second week of August, including OTAs and minicamp.
That can be read in several different ways. Maybe Samuel, who arrived at camp looking noticeably slimmed down and in great shape while donning his new No. 1 jersey, sees the writing on the wall, knowing he's not getting any younger and quarterback Brock Purdy will be up for a monster contract next summer. Anyone with a clue is well aware that, at some point, there won't be enough money to go around to keep everybody. If you've followed the NFL for even just a few seasons, you would know that to be a stark reality.
But in the present tense, does anyone really care about any of that right now? It doesn't sound like Deebo does.
"My motivation was for sure losing two Super Bowls," Samuel said. "We are always there. In my mind. I'm doing everything possible to be in the best shape and being the best player and being the best version of myself to come back and continue help this team go on those runs that we know we're capable of."
That's an absolute symphony to the ears of 49ers fans and probably every single player on that roster. Because a monster season from No. 1 appears to be upon us. And that's all that matters.
With Aiyuk officially back in the fold and the credits finally rolling on the 49ers' most recent soap opera, it would honestly be difficult to imagine next offseason is a topic at the forefront of the mind for either Lynch or Shanahan. Or even Deebo, for that matter.
As it's often said during mundane conversations held in bland conference rooms, when it comes to whatever happens with Deebo Samuel next summer, "let's table that for now."