The San Francisco 49ers are headed toward a critical juncture with star receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
Aiyuk is already skipping mandatory minicamps while he awaits a new contract, while he and Samuel have been the subject of trade rumors all offseason. Aiyuk is currently playing on his $14.1 million fifth-year option, while Samuel is on the third year of his extension and will cost the 49ers $28.6 million against the salary this season.
It will be hard to keep both on the roster in 2024, especially after the team just gave running back Christian McCaffrey a lucrative extension and will have to start thinking about quarterback Brock Purdy's contract in a year.
2024 San Francisco 49ers schedule: Each game, time and network
San Francisco 49ers' plan for WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel
Everything will come down to what the 49ers do with Aiyuk, according to Silver. While there is still a chance he can be traded, Silver believes a contract extension for Aiyuk means the end of Samuel in San Francisco — either before the November trade deadline or after the 2024 season.
This is tough to predict because of all the recent wide receiver deals this offseason. Justin Jefferson reset the market at $35 million per year, but CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins are also looking for new deals. It's unclear what Aiyuk is looking for, but the floor for a top-10 receiver appears to be reaching $30 million per year.
Depending on the 49ers' best off this offseason, Silver believes there's an alternative route where Aiyuk plays on his fifth-year option in 2024 and sets the 49ers up with a decision to make between himself and Samuel after the season ends. New receiver contracts could play into this decision as well because of the impending Ja'Marr Chase extension that could pass Jefferson's.
It also should be noted that the 49ers have a plan in place at receiver for when one of Aiyuk and Samuel departs. San Francisco drafted Ricky Pearsall in the first round as a likely successor to whichever receiver leaves. The 49ers also drafted Jacob Cowing and re-signed Jauan Jennings. NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco noted that the presence of Pearsall and Jennings is perhaps the biggest signal the team is bracing for a world without one of Aiyuk and Samuel.
There is still a lot of time between now and Week 1, and even more time between Week 1 and the trade deadline in November. That gives the 49ers and Aiyuk plenty of time to make up their minds on their respective plans.
