Deebo Samuel would like to move on from his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers, but the trade market for the 29-year-old receiver doesn't appear to be lining up with his hopes. At least not yet.
In his meeting with the 49ers' front office after the 2024 campaign, Samuel asked for a trade this offseason. San Francisco general manager John Lynch said he plans to honor Samuel's request at some point before the 2025 campaign, as the team needs to free up some salary-cap space with quarterback Brock Purdy due for a lucrative contract extension.
The Athletic's Diana Russini reported Saturday that Samuel is interested in playing for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. However, she also reported those teams are not expected to make an offer.
The Broncos are coming off a surprising 2024 season, finishing 10–7 and snapping an eight-year playoff drought behind the improved play of rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Courtland Sutton was Nix's favorite target all year long, snagging 81 receptions for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns. There is certainly a need for more depth at receiver for Nix, but it appears Samuel and his $15.8 million cap hit in 2025 is not an option Denver would like to pursue.
The Texans failed to build off an encouraging 2023 campaign, logging an identical 10–7 record and falling in the divisional round for a second consecutive year. A big part of Houston falling short of expectations was its health at receiver, as Nico Collins missed five games, Stefon Diggs suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 and Tank Dell sustained a gruesome knee injury in Week 16.
While Collins is set to return as quarterback C.J. Stroud's No. 1 target, Diggs will hit the open market as a free agent and Dell's recovery from an ACL tear and dislocated knee likely keeps him out for at least a good chunk of the 2025 campaign. Still, though, the Texans don't appear motivated to trade for Samuel at this point.
There are other potential suitors for Samuel this offseason. The Washington Commanders have plenty of cap space and could be motivated to give reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels another weapon behind Terry McLaurin. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots also are expected to be in the market for a receiver this offseason.
Samuel, coming off a down year in which he gained 806 total yards on 93 touches, still believes he has good football ahead of him. It's just a matter of the 49ers finding a trade partner that agrees.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Deebo Samuel Interested in Trade to Two NFL Teams Not Expected to Make Offer.
