Getty San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk interacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets might not be done making big moves.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated floated a fascinating trade proposal involving a pair of Super Bowl contenders during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
New York Jets receive: wide receiver Deebo Samuel
San Francisco 49ers receive: 2025 first-round pick
“If the Jets were to offer a first-round pick for Deebo who obviously knows Robert Saleh. That is the Jets going all in on it,” Breer explained to Rich Eisen on Wednesday, June 5. “I just think there is a scenario where somebody could pry Deebo Samuel from the 49ers. Again that’s just my opinion but if somebody comes along and offers a first-round pick and you’re the Niners again you’re dealing with this perpetual bottleneck of contracts that is only going to get worse after Brock Purdy gets paid.”
Breer added that it’s a “complex situation that I think could go a number of different ways. Certainly, if I’m a team like the Jets and I see Brandon Aiyuk has been re-signed to a contract at whatever $30 million per year, I’m probably picking up the phone and calling [49ers general manager] John Lynch.”
49ers Can’t Pay Everyone and the Jets Stand to Benefit
Aiyuk, 26, is in the last year of his rookie deal [fifth-year option] for $14.1 million. The former Arizona State product is seeking a brand new long-term extension.
He has skipped both the voluntary portions of the offseason and most recently the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp. According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Aiyuk can command a $26.5 million annual salary on a multiyear deal. That would place him No. eight among the highest-paid wide receivers in football, per Over The Cap.
Breer said if the 49ers get something done with Aiyuk “then I think they get some phone calls on Deebo and if there is something that they really love out there – fine. If not, they wait a year and trade him after the [season]. I don’t think both of those guys are going to be on the team long-term. I do think that their futures with the Niners are relative to one another.”
Samuel, 28, has two years left on his contract through the 2025 season. Over that stretch, he is owed $21.9 million in cash in 2024 and another $17.5 million in cash in 2025.
“If it were up to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, ideally, I think they’d like to have Aiyuk on their roster long-term. If that means trading Deebo then I think they’d be okay with that,” Breer revealed to Eisen.
Jets Are All in on 2024, Samuel Could Give Them Another Star on Offense
There is plenty of connective tissue between the Jets and 49ers organizations.
Samuel is a unique weapon that can contribute in a variety of ways offensively.
Across his five seasons in the NFL, Samuel has racked up 4,122 receiving yards with 283 receptions and 19 receiving touchdowns. He has rushed for over 1,007 yards on the ground while averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.
Giving up a valuable future first-rounder is an expensive price to pay for a 28-year-old wide receiver who hasn’t stayed on the field consistently. However the Jets are in a unique position where the sole focus is on 2024 and doing whatever they can to win the Super Bowl is the top priority.