Report: Steelers Have Checked In On 49ers' Deebo Samuel But Other Teams Are More Aggressive

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to make additions to the wide receiver group this offseason, but who they plan to target remains in question. There's obviously a bunch of young and exciting prospects that are entering the 2025 NFL Draft, but a proven veteran could also be a route Pittsburgh's front office decides to take. Along with the names of Cooper Kupp and Tee Higgins, San Francisco 49ers' Deebo Samuel is another receiver that will likely be in a new uniform in 2025. However, new reports reveal that it could cost teams more capital to acquire Samuel than originally expected. 

On Friday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter appeared on the Pardon My Take podcast and gave new insight on Samuel's trade market. The 29 year-old wide receiver requested to be traded by the 49ers after a disappointing 2024 campaign. If a team like Pittsburgh were to trade for Samuel, he would be owed roughly over $17 million for one year according to Spotrac. Many insiders like Schefter initially believed it was also possible that Samuel could just be flat out released by San Francisco. 

"I think that there is a market for Deebo Samuel that's probably a little bit stronger than people thought it would be," Schefter detailed on Friday. "I think the 49ers are going to be able to trade him."

Jordan Schultz also reported that the Steelers have had some serious competition in regards to trading for Samuel. Two teams, one AFC and one NFC, have been the most aggressive in talks with San Francisco. 

Pittsburgh and the 49ers find themselves in a similar situation to the 2024 offseason, when the two organizations had ongoing conversations about a trade for Brandon Aiyuk, who San Francisco wound up paying after all. The Steelers were the clear-cut front runner for the Aiyuk trade destinations, but it doesn't appear to be the same with Samuel. 

How early in the draft Pittsburgh plans on taking a receiver will have an affect on which veteran option they decide to attack. If the Steelers want to take a stud in the first or second round, then a guy like Samuel could make sense. If they would prefer to wait until the later rounds and bolster other positions, a big-name receiver like Higgins who is still playing at a really high level, should be on their radar. Steelers General Manager Omar Khan additionally said that whoever is the starting quarterback for 2025 could have an affect on which receiver they target. 

Steelers Need To Be More Urgent In Finding 2025 Quarterback And Wide Receiver Help

With the news breaking that Matthew Stafford will remain in Los Angeles for 2025, that takes one option off of Pittsburgh's list of potential quarterbacks for 2025. It seems in all likelihood that either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will re-sign with the black and gold, but neither have signed a deal yet. The longer the quarterback dilemma waits, the more difficult it will become to assemble a roster that's ready to win in 2025. 

Last offseason, the Aiyuk-saga drug all the way up to the regular season and they ended up getting no one until the trade deadline. That cannot happen again this year, and they need to find a quality wideout sooner rather than later. The faster they find their quarterback and a talented receiver to pair with George Pickens, the more attractive they will become to other players. 

Do you think the Steelers need to be more aggressive in the Samuel trade talks? Who else should be on Pittsburgh's radar this offseason? Let us know. 

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