San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. His star player, Deebo Samuel, has emerged as a cut candidate.San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Trade chatter about Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel dominated the 49ers’ draft discussion, and those talks have not died down.

The 49ers may begin to break up their core this offseason, and that starts with Deebo Samuel.

There is some belief within the league that the San Francisco 49ers will move on from the star wide receiver after the 2024 season.

According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, an unnamed NFL executive reportedly stated that the Niners “may have to cut or trade” Samuel following the season.

The executive remarked, “I don’t know why you would mess with a good thing now,” implying that a deal is unlikely to be reached before the 2024 NFL season. The executive did, however, add that if the 49ers had been able to obtain a first-round choice in exchange for Deebo Samuel, they probably “would have” sold him during the draft.

Deebo’s name wasn’t as talked about as much as wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk since he is entering the final year of his contract in 2024.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano previously stated the 49ers preferred to move on from Samuel rather than Aiyuk had they made a trade.

For what it is worth San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch ended any remaining speculation about the team possibly parting ways with either of their starting wideouts following months of speculations.

“I’m doing everything in my power to keep our roster together,” Lynch said Thursday on the “Pat McAfee Show,” via Steelers Now. “That’s my goal, and I don’t question that. When you talk about guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo, those are guys that we drafted, and we take a lot of pride in what they’ve become and who they’ve become. We couldn’t be more proud of those guys. And so, during the course of drafts and offseasons, do conversations happen? Absolutely, they do. We’re past that now. We’re thrilled to add to that group.”

It is obvious that Lynch never wanted to move Samuel or Aiyuk because doing so might make the 49ers less prosperous this season. Their off-season goal was to keep everyone on the roster so they were capable of getting back to another Super Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel Has Concerning Injury History

Deebo Samuel (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel has a concerning injury history.

He went down with a non-contact injury vs. the Chiefs in the 2024 Super Bowl, but returned after a brief exit. He also injured his shoulder against the Packers in the playoffs.

His status against the Lions was also in question due to injuries.

Deebo’s injury history is undoubtedly a factor in why he has been pegged as a cut or trade candidate.