The conclusion of Super Bowl 59 means the NFL offseason is in full swing with the NFL Combine as the next major event. It also means that trade rumors for current stars, like Deebo Samuel, will get cranked up over the next few months.
The NFL has never been a “hot stove” league like Major League Baseball but multiple major names requesting trades should make this an interesting offseason.
Could Pittsburgh Emerge As Deebo Samuel’s Landing Spot?
2024 was one to forget for the San Francisco 49ers. The team was supposed to compete for the NFC title again after a Super Bowl appearance in 2023 but finished last in the NFC West at 6-11.
Samuel has been one of San Francisco’s best offensive weapons since coming into the league in 2019. However, 2024 was arguably the worst season of his career. He battled through a strained calf in Week 2 and a rib injury in Week 8 to play in 15 games, but only totaled 670 yards on 51 receptions with three receiving touchdowns.
He continued to be a valuable chess piece for the 49ers, adding 136 rushing yards on 42 carries and one score, but his production in both phases has fallen off dramatically since his All-Pro season in 2021.
He’s now requested a trade, and one Sports Illustrated reporter has a team pegged as a potential destination — the Pittsburgh Steelers.
SI Noah Strackbein says Deebo Samuels and his agent will try to engage with the Steelers on a trade: “According to a source from another NFL team, Samuel and his agent Tory Dandy are "absolutely" going to attempt to engage with the Steelers, making them an immediate candidate if…
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) February 10, 2025
Noah Strackbein says, “According to a source from another NFL team, Samuel and his agent Tory Dandy are ‘absolutely’ going to attempt to engage with the Steelers, making them an immediate candidate if they share the same interest.” Pittsburgh would be an intriguing landing spot for the 29-year-old as it’s tough to see how he’d fit into an offense that doesn’t have a starting quarterback right now.
George Pickens led the Steelers with 900 receiving yards on 59 receptions in 2024 while Pat Freiermuth led the team with seven receiving touchdowns. Pittsburgh’s offense needs a creativity boost after finishing No. 25 in PFSN’s Offense+ rankings and adding the versatile veteran receiver could be the right move.
The issue for whoever acquires Samuel will be his contract situation. PFSN’s own Kyle Soppe broke down the receiver’s deal and how the timing of a trade matters for the financial ramifications.
According to OverTheCap, if he’s traded before June 1, the 49ers will take on $31.5 million in dead money, that’s the easy part. His new team would handle Samuel’s contract like this:
- $15,430,530 bonus (prorated over five void years)
- $12,344,424 dead money in 2026 when the deal voids
- $4,256,106 against the cap in 2025
- $1,170,000 base salary
The team acquiring Samuel will pay him around $17.5 million in cash in 2025 on his current deal. However, $15.4 million is an option bonus, so his cap number for 2025 will be just $4.26 million. The remaining $12.3 million hits the cap when the contract voids in 2026.
The Steelers are on the shortlist of suitors for Samuel but the money will come into play for any team. This won’t be a cut-and-dry trade, but any contender who can financially swing it should want to add a versatile piece to its offense.