There was a time when the receiving combination of Deebo Samuel and George Kittle struck fear in the hearts of defensive backs all over the NFL. That almost certainly will not be the case when the 2025 regular season kicks off.
The 49ers are ready to offload Samuel in a trade and his teammates are already mentally preparing for life without the versatile wide receiver. Kittle recently told USA Today that San Francisco will need to build their offense "differently" without Samuel in the fold.
The big question the 49ers front office needs to answer is what return they can get in a trade for the former Pro Bowl receiver. Samuel's dip in production last season will temper his market. It's likely that San Francisco will need to settle for a mid-round draft pick if they want to offload Samuel's salary during the offseason.
San Francisco 49ers are preparing for life without Deebo Samuel
That tepid trade return also will make it challenging for the 49ers to draft a like-for-like replacement for Samuel. The 49ers currently own the No. 11 overall pick but this is not believed to be a particularly strong draft class of wide receivers. Unless Tetairoa McMillan experiences a Day 1 fall it would be unwise for San Francisco to spend that premium first-rounder on a wide receiver.
The options available to the 49ers in free agency aren't much better. The franchise does not have the cap space required to shop at the top of the open market so they'll be forced to look for a bargain instead. An underrated veteran like Darius Slayton might be the best hope the 49ers have of replacing Samuel's production via free agency.
In the end, expect Kyle Shanahan and his offensive coaching staff to work to replace Samuel's production by committee. The 49ers thrive on trying to stay ahead of the NFL curve by employing innovation at every opportunity. Samuel's likely departure will give San Francisco another opportunity to do just that.