Report: 49ers now more likely to trade Deebo than Aiyuk

Report: 49ers now more likely to trade Deebo than Aiyuk originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With the 49ers picking Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall No. 31 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night, could one of San Francisco's star pass catchers be on the move?

While The Athletic's Diana Russini reported before the draft that the 49ers were considering moving up from No. 31 by trading either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel, both receivers made it through the first round without being dealt.

The 49ers now, however, are more likely to deal Samuel than they are Aiyuk after the Pearsall pick, The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Silver reported, citing conversations with other NFL teams.

Aiyuk has been at the center of trade rumors this offseason as he and the 49ers try to work out a contract extension, with the former first-round pick in the 2020 draft set to enter the fifth and final year on his rookie deal. Should he remain with San Francisco, he'll play alongside a former Arizona State teammate in Pearsall, who later transferred to Florida.

But as the 49ers attempt to extend Aiyuk, it appears they're not opposed to dumping some salary via a Samuel trade. Samuel has a base salary of $20.97 million in 2024 and $16.6 million in 2025 as part of a contract he signed in 2022.

After the 49ers selected Pearsall on Thursday, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters they wouldn't rule out any trade when asked about the Samuel rumors while reiterating their desire to extend Aiyuk.

The NFL is a business at the end of the day, and it appears the Faithful can't rule out either fan-favorite receiver being traded as San Francisco attempts to build for the future. But one certainly appears more likely than the other.

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