Brandon Aiyuk contract puts Deebo Samuel’s 49ers future on the clock, but how long can WR duo stay together?

The San Francisco 49ers finally closed the book on the Brandon Aiyuk saga, as they agreed on a four-year contract extension worth $120 million with their WR1 on Thursday. This is not considered a win-win, as the 49ers could have saved money by signing their star receiver as soon as possible. Instead, they waited, and ended up paying a contract that would have made Aiyuk the highest-paid pass-catcher in NFL history had he signed the same deal earlier in the offseason. 

So, the 49ers now have all of their top playmakers under contract for at least two more years in Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. But the next big extension to keep an eye on will be for quarterback Brock Purdy — and it will be a big one. 

The former “Mr. Irrelevant” is eligible for a pay day after this upcoming season, and if Purdy continues on the track he’s on, he could sign the biggest deal in NFL history. John Lynch and Co. will need money to make that deal, and the 49ers rank in the bottom 12 in projected available funds through 2027, per Over The Cap. That includes a -$28.21 million number which ranks third-worst in the NFL in 2025. 

If the 49ers learned anything from the Aiyuk roller coaster, it’s that if you have a player you would like to be a part of your organization moving forward, you pay him as soon as possible. Will San Francisco take that approach with their player who mans the most important position in football? Where will that money come from? With Aiyuk now under contract for the next four years, it would appear Deebo’s days are numbered.

This is not some foreign concept. It was reported that, not only Aiyuk, but Samuel as well, were being shopped around the 2024 NFL Draft. Samuel even confirmed the noise this offseason, saying he talked to his agent about a potential change of scenery. However, trade talks centered around Samuel are probably not over. 

When the news of Aiyuk’s extension was reported, CBS Sports contributor and NFL cap guru Joel Corry took to social media to declare this year the “Deebo Samuel farewell tour.”

Samuel is under contract for two more years, but it doesn’t seem very likely he will play out the three-year, $71.55 million extension that he signed back in 2022. As Corry mentions, the 49ers could save over $9 million in cap space by trading Samuel in 2025.

Samuel, who turned 28 in January, is still a unique weapon in today’s NFL. He reached 1,100+ scrimmage yards for the second time in his career last season, and scored a total of 12 touchdowns. Samuel also led the NFL in YAC per reception — making it four seasons in a row he’s led all receivers in that category. He should attract some interest.  

The bottom line is that with the Aiyuk extension and the looming Purdy extension, Samuel should be on the move. It’s something the 49ers front office has already considered, and they even prepared for moving on from one of their wideouts by drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round this offseason.