49ers $71 million fan-favorite could surprisingly be traded soon, per insider

The San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl window may not be closing, but there are certainly a number of obstacles standing in their way.

For years, the 49ers have had the most talented all-around roster in the NFL, and for the most part, that roster has been affordable. But thanks to lucrative extensions handed out to many of San Francisco's superstars, keeping the band together is only about to get more difficult.

On offense, the 49ers have already locked up stars like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk. Quarterback Brock Purdy, who makes just $1 million on his rookie deal, could be the final straw. 

If Purdy gets a $50 million salary, something may have to give. The 49ers could be forced to trade one of their offensive superstars, and ESPN insider Dan Graziano had a somewhat surprising answer for who that could be.

"Samuel stands as an example of the difficult decisions San Francisco will confront in the spring," Graziano said. "The team signed Brandon Aiyuk to a big-money contract extension before this season, extended Jauan Jennings earlier in the offseason and drafted Ricky Pearsall in the first round."

"So the Niners have spent considerable resources on their future at the wide receiver position. That leads one to believe Samuel could be the odd man out as they start to transition from their Super Bowl-caliber core into the future."

Samuel's base salary is just over $16 million next season, but he'll carry a dead cap hit of over $31 million for the 49ers if they trade or cut him thanks to the structure of the three-year extension San Francisco brokered with Samuel in 2022. 

Trading Samuel wouldn't lessen the dead cap hit for 2025, but it would allow the 49ers to recoup some draft capital for a player they might otherwise lose in free agency. Whether they choose to do so would likely hinge on their own expectations for Super Bowl contention with and without the star receiver.

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