This Steelers-49ers trade would land Justin Fields’ perfect weapon, but it has a catch
If the Pittsburgh Steelers want Justin Fields to thrive as their starting quarterback in 2025, they need to surround him with as many weapons as possible. George Pickens gives him one top wide receiver to work with, but a trade for San Francisco 49ers' star Deebo Samuel would add an extra dimension to Pittsburgh's offense.
Neither Van Jefferson or Calvin Austin is in Samuel's league as a player. The Niners wideout had a down year in 2024, but a change of scenery could get his career right back on track. The Steelers' desire to field a legitimate Super Bowl contender next year will have them making calls to San Francisco about Samuel's availability.
The biggest obstacle between the 49ers and Steelers in a potential Samuel deal is the star wideout's contract. Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show has a simple solution. He advocates for Pittsburgh making the deal on the condition that the 49ers eat some of Samuel's salary for next season.
If I were the Steelers, I'd trade for Deebo Samuel in a heartbeat. Omar make SF eat some of that salary and get him for a year.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) February 10, 2025
It's a nice idea from the Steelers perspective but, on the surface, it does not take a ton of sense for the 49ers. Samuel may not be a superstar but he's got the talent to help a lot of teams. Finding a team to take him won't be a challenge this offseason.
Proposed trade sends Deebo Samuel to Pittsburgh
If the Steelers do want to force the 49ers to retain some of their star pass-catchers' salary, then they will need to pony up more draft compensation than their competitors. Pittsburgh's No. 21 overall pick in Round 1 feels like the necessary price to put San Francisco in such a difficult financial situaiton.
Deebo Samuel trade
That price tag should be enough to scare the Steelers away from any Samuel negotations. They could easily choose to use their first-round pick to secure a new weapon for Fields and their passing game. Someone like Luther Burden III or Emeka Egbuka could give Pittsburgh 80% of Samuel's production for 20% of his cost.
In the end, expect the Steelers to kick the tires on what it might take to land Samuel but choose to rely on their own draft picks instead of trading to give their young signal-caller what he needs. Pairing Samuel with Fields is an interesting thought experiment but is unlikely to develop into anything more.