Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk

Monday, February 10, 6:11 PM

The San Francisco 49ers gave wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. permission to seek a trade this offseason. Samuel is under contract for one more season, and his deal includes a $15 million option bonus. Along with his drop in production in 2024, it could suppress Samuel's trade market, but NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco lists the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans as a few teams that could be interested in acquiring Samuel from the Niners. The 29-year-old former second-rounder had career-lows of 3.4 catches and 44.7 receiving yards per game in 15 contests in 2024, with his per-rush average also dropping to 3.2 yards. Although Samuel is much more of an injury risk with declining production, he does have 42 total TDs in six NFL seasons and will draw interest from receiver-needy teams as a trade target.

Tuesday, February 11, 2:41 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) could be ready for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, though his status is uncertain for now. The 26-year-old suffered a torn ACL and MCL in October of last season, so the recovery timeline makes it realistic for him to be ready for the start of the new campaign. Following a 1,400-yard receiving season in 2023, the 49ers signed Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million contract. Unfortunately, he could only produce 25 receptions for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games in 2024. That said, Aiyuk could be a value pick in fantasy football coming off the injury, especially since Deebo Samuel appears to finally be on the way out of San Francisco via trade at some point this offseason.