49ers drafting a WR may have sealed the fate of one of two players

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

49ers drafting a WR in first round may have sealed the fate of one of two players

By Criss Partee | Last updated 4/26/24

After all the speculation and rumors about what the San Francisco 49ers would do in the first round of the NFL Draft, we know now what the future may look like. It seems that future could be played without either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel.

Leading up to the draft rumors swirled around the status of Aiyuk and his desire for a contract extension. Now we’re hearing that it could be Samuel on the trade block instead according to long-time columnist Michael Silver.

Based on my conversations with other teams, the 49ers are now more likely to deal Deebo Samuel than they are Brandon Aiyuk. Stay tuned.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 26, 2024

By taking Florida's Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick, San Francisco’s front office has fanned the flames of all the rumors surrounding Samuel and Aiyuk. What the pick signifies is the Niners might be preparing to move on without one of them.

With Aiyuk looking for an extension and Samuel carrying a cap hit of $28M in 2024, one thing that feels obvious is one of them could be headed elsewhere. They may play one more season with San Francisco but don’t expect to see this tandem together for the long haul.

Samuel signed an extension with the Niners in 2022 while Aiyuk is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Considering all the options at general manager John Lynch’s disposal, drafting a WR with the team’s No. 1 pick speaks volumes. One of these playmaking wideouts could be exiting the building sooner rather than later.

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