7 Deebo Samuel trade landing spots, ranked by the teams that need him most

Deebo Samuel’s trade request is here. Here’s where the star receiver could land.

Super Bowl LIX is in the books.

While the confetti is still being cleared in New Orleans, however, the NFL world immediately turns to the offseason. The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is just weeks away, and the NFL Draft is always looming.

In what may be the first major news of the offseason reports emerged ahead of Super Bowl LIX that Deebo Samuel asked for, and was granted, permission to seek a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

Samuel is entering the final season of the three-year contract extension he signed with San Francisco back in 2022. While that deal carries a base salary of $1.1 million, the structure of his contract with the 49ers means there are complications associated with any move. Thanks to a restructure that was done last fall, if the 49ers trade him prior to June 1, they would absorb a $31.55 million dead cap hit. However, he is also due a bonus on March 22 of $15.4 million, which is something the organization would like to avoid if he is not going to be on their roster next season.

While Samuel is one of the most versatile offensive players in the league, injuries have been a factor the past few seasons. After posting a career year in 2021, Samuel has played in 43 of a possible 51 regular-season contests since that campaign.

Still, there are going to be suitors.

Let’s rank some options.

7. Denver Broncos

Similar to another team we will see on this list, the Denver Broncos advanced to the playoffs behind a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix.

While the Broncos’ run to the postseason ended in the Wild Card round, Denver now has a window to build around the rookie quarterback. With over $30 million in effective cap space according to Over the Cap, the Broncos have the ability to ink Samuel to an extension, which could help them land the talented offensive weapon. And you can only imagine that Sean Payton would love designing plays for Samuel in both the passing and the running games.

6. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots may have gotten the selection of Drake Maye right.

Maye completed 66.6% of his passes for the Patriots last season, throwing for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns against 10 interceptions despite playing behind an offensive line that struggled to protect him throughout the season. New England fans saw flashes of what he could become in the league in games like a late-season loss to the Buffalo Bills, and he was even named to his first Pro Bowl!*

*Yes, as something like the 15th alternate. You, dear reader, were next in line I think.

While down in Orlando, Maye did his best to pitch potential free agents on New England. The Patriots have the most cap space available this offseason, with over $110 million freed up to entice new players to Foxborough.

“I think it’s selling the city, selling the fans,” Maye told NBC Sports Boston about his recruiting pitch to players. “They love you when you’re winning, which we need to do. They’re behind our back, and I think we’ve got something to look forward to in Boston.”

Now the front office needs to pick up where Maye left off, and get the young quarterback some help. Samuel would be a big step in that direction.

5. New York Giants

There is every expectation that the New York Giants will be one of the teams that drafts a rookie at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, whether Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders.

Adding some help around that expected rookie quarterback would be a smart move from general manager Joe Schoen.

The Giants added Malik Nabers during the 2024 NFL Draft, and Nabers looks the part of a top-flight NFL wide receiver. The LSU product hauled in 109 passes for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns a year ago despite playing with Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito. But with Darius Slayton hitting free agency adding another wide receiver — and one as talented as Samuel — would take a lot of pressure off the expected rookie QB.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have two threats in the passing game, George Pickens on the outside and tight end Pat Freiermuth working the middle of the field.

However, the rest of their options in the passing game have struggled to deliver on a consistent basis. Mike Williams showed flashes for the Steelers in their run to the playoffs last season, as did Calvin Austin III, but giving the Steelers offense a versatile weapon like Samuel would provide a clear boost to both their passing game, and their rushing attack given what Samuel can do as both a blocker in the run game and a ball carrier.

And his addition would certainly help whoever ends up under center in Pittsburgh next season.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Do you hear that sound?

Way off in the distance?

That is the “Chargers media hype cycle” starting to spin into action. This happens almost every offseason: The Chargers suffer a difficult end to a season, media types like me write them off, but then as winter fades from memory and the bulbs begin to bloom, we begin to talk ourselves into the Chargers.

By the time training camp arrives, they are everyone’s darlings once again.

Jim Harbaugh’s first season in Los Angeles saw the Chargers advance to the playoffs, before falling short in the Wild Card round to the Houston Texans in a game many believed the Chargers would win. After all, the Chargers were road favorites in that game, before “Chargering” in almost perfect fashion.

At the moment we are on the down part of that media cycle described above. But if Los Angeles adds Samuel to their offense, giving them an additional presence in the passing game and boosting their rushing attack, then spring will be here before you know it.

2. Houston Texans

Now we reach the team the Chargers lost to last month.

The Houston Texans tried to capitalize on the rookie season success of C.J. Stroud, adding players such as Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter, and Joe Mixon last spring. That was enough to help the Texans to a second consecutive AFC South title and another win on Wild Card Weekend, but Houston came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs the following week.

They certainly have weapons on offense, but with Tank Dell suffering an extensive knee injury late in the season that could cost him the entire 2025 campaign, and Diggs not only coming off an ACL tear of his own but also entering free agency after the Texans voided the final three years of his previous contract, adding a wide receiver might be at the top of general manager Nick Caserio’s to-do list this offseason.

With Stroud still on that rookie deal, the Texans might try and load up again.

1. Washington Commanders

This is one of the recipes for success in the modern NFL, is it not?

When a team strikes gold with a quarterback on a rookie deal, that gives them a big window of opportunity. Take the Houston Texans, who loaded up around C.J. Stroud last offseason with additions such as Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and Danielle Hunter. Both teams that played in Super Bowl LIX took advantage of rookie windows, as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles built around Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts before it was time for long-term extensions.

Next up? The Washington Commanders.

Jayden Daniels produced a stellar rookie season for Washington, leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game and securing Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Now the Commanders enter the offseason with the third most effective cap space in the league, which could make an extension for Samuel an option, and a demonstrated record of recent success.

Add Samuel to that offense — and he might be a perfect fit with what Kliff Kingsbury wants to do schematically — and watch out.