Apparently, the 49ers gave the Steelers an offer they ultimately refused. Pittsburgh wanted to acquire 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel via a trade, but were unwilling to meet San Francisco's asking price, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It's unclear at this time what the 49ers wanted in exchange for Samuel, but the Steelers apparently balked at the asking price. The Steelers have made no secret about their desire to acquire a veteran wideout, which makes their decision not to jump at the chance to acquire Samuel an interesting one.
It was reported on Thursday the 49ers were considering trading either Samuel or fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk. While Samuel's name hadn't been thrown out in pre-draft trade speculation, Aiyuk's name has been mentioned for weeks. It stems from Aiyuk's desire to receive a new long-term contract. He's currently slated to play under his fifth-year option that would pay him $14.1 million for the 2024 season.
A former first-round pick, Aiyuk played like an elite receiver last season. He caught 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. Aiyuk caught an additional nine passes for 149 yards and a score during the postseason. His jaw-dropping, 51-yard catch in the NFC Championship game helped spearhead San Francisco's come-from-behind win over the Lions.
Samuel, 28, is in the middle of a three-year, $71.55 million extension that he signed back in 2022. When healthy, Samuel presents major challenges to a defense because of his versatility. In 2021, he led the NFL with an 18.2 yards-per-catch average in addition to rushing for eight touchdowns.
Last season, Samuel caught seven touchdowns and ran for five more scores in 15 regular-season games. He caught eight of nine targets in the 49ers' NFC title game win over Detroit before being held to just three catches in Super Bowl LVIII.
