NFL Rumors: 49ers 'Planning for Life Without' Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk in 2025

The San Francisco 49ers didn't trade any of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel or Jauan Jennings during the NFL draft. But it's hard to imagine the trio remaining in San Francisco for the long term.

According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, "The Niners are planning for life without at least one (if not two) of them as soon as 2025. ... The plan has been and remains to try to work out a long-term contract extension for Aiyuk. If that happens, difficult decisions on Samuel and Jennings (an unrestricted free agent) will await after the season."

The Niners were very proactive regarding the future of the receiver position during the draft, selecting Ricky Pearsall in the first round and Jacob Cowing in the fourth.

Paying both Aiyuk and Samuel would become prohibitive, especially with Nick Bosa already on the largest non-quarterback contract in football and Brock Purdy likely to eventually get a lucrative extension himself.

Because the Niners have a playmaker in Christian McCaffrey who offers a similar dual-threat skill set to Samuel, keeping Aiyuk likely makes the most sense for San Francisco. Regardless, there is serious uncertainty regarding the future of the position for the defending NFC champions.