Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or Terry McLaurin

Wednesday, January 8, 3:30 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that the plan is to bring wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. back for the 2025 season. After signing receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to a hefty extension before the start of the 2024 season, it was assumed that the Niners would likely move on from Samuel heading into 2025 given his significant salary-cap hit. In addition to the decision regarding the future of Samuel, who missed the Week 18 regular-season finale due to rib and wrist injuries, the 49ers will also be navigating a long-term extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. If the Niners change their mind on the 28-year-old Samuel, he could be a trade candidate with one year left on his deal. In 15 games in 2024, he had 51 catches for 670 yards and only three touchdowns despite Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) missing significant time with injuries.

Tuesday, January 28, 4:39 PM

The Athletic's Ben Standig writes that Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin's agent is expected to seek a new deal for the second-team All-Pro pass-catcher this offseason after recording his fifth straight 1,000-yard receiving season in 2024. In 17 regular-season games, McLaurin had 82 receptions on 117 targets for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels elevated the entire offense. McLaurin added 14 catches on 23 targets for 227 yards and three touchdowns in the team's three playoff games. Going into the 2025 campaign, McLaurin's seventh in the league, he will be much more expensive in fantasy drafts as a WR1 after Daniels' impressive rookie season. In his six years in the NFL, McLaurin has 38 total touchdowns in 97 regular-season games and is averaging 65.8 yards per game.