Deebo Samuel Trade Rumors: 'Several Teams' Have Expressed Interest in 49ers WR

The San Francisco 49ers reportedly don't have to worry about a lack of interest and potential suitors regarding Deebo Samuel trade discussions.

"I just checked in on this," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on Thursday's episode of NFL Live. "I was told that several teams have expressed interest, so at least preliminary talks on a potential trade have happened between Samuel, his agent and the team."

A number of teams expressing interest would be a welcome development for the 49ers, as that can only help them drive up the price.

This is also a more encouraging update for the NFC West team than one from last Thursday when ESPN's Jeff Darlington said on SportsCenter, "I don't anticipate that the 49ers will get a lot for Samuel because he is also going to have to need to be extended. And it's pretty clear that the 49ers will likely have to cut him if they don't trade him, so they really don't hold much leverage here."

It's no secret the wide receiver isn't coming back to San Francisco after requesting a trade:

That means the only leverage the team would really have in trade discussions is if there were multiple suitors that will have to bid against each other.

And that seems to be the case, which could prevent a situation where the 49ers had to give up a 29-year-old playmaker who is versatile enough to impact a game as a runner or receiver for a bargain price.

Samuel is coming off one of the least productive seasons of his career with 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns to go with 136 yards and one score as a runner. He also turned heads when he expressed his frustration that he wasn't getting the ball enough in the offense.

Still, he is also the same receiver who helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl during the 2019 and 2023 seasons while also making the Pro Bowl in 2021 with 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns.

That version of Samuel could be worth a lot in trade discussions if there are multiple suitors, even if he has just one more season remaining on his contract.