Niners Nation
Depending on what the 49ers are willing to accept in a deal, a post-June 1 release might be inevitable
The San Francisco 49ers’ aggressiveness this offseason could depend on multiple factors. One of those is how the market for wide receiver Deebo Samuel develops. In a recent article that explored trade options for Deebo, the highest pick the 49ers could net was an early fourth-rounder.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reviewed each team's salary cap heading into free agency and wondered what would happen if the 49ers could not find a suitor for Samuel.
What happens if the 49ers can’t trade Deebo Samuel Sr.?
Well, I’m pretty sure we’re going to find out — because from a cap standpoint, they really can’t trade him. Because of the way they’ve restructured Samuel’s deal over the years, the 49ers would take on $31.55 million in dead money cap charges for 2025 if they traded Samuel. That number would go up to about $47 million if they traded him after his March 22 option bonus came due, so this will obviously play itself out before then.
Releasing Samuel before March 22 and designating him as a post-June 1 cut is the only reasonable way for the 49ers to go here. It would result in a dead cap hit of roughly $10.75 million this season, and the remaining $20.8 million or so in dead money would go on their 2026 cap.
What are the 49ers willing to accept in a deal for Deebo? That will be the driving force for any trade. If they set their sights on a second-rounder, a post-June 1 release is inevitable.
They’d be doing Samuel a favor by allowing him to sign anywhere if he is released. He’d prefer that over being dealt to a team like Jacksonville or another annual basement dweller.
The quicker the 49ers resolve their Samuel situation, the more clarity they’ll have in free agency. Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing enter Year 2. Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a serious knee injury. Jauan Jennings’s contract voids after the 2025 season. Unless the team plans to use Cowing more in Year 2, wide receiver suddenly becomes a bigger need than most realize.
