You’ll get little argument from anyone who cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers that they need help at the wide receiver position. With George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and little else, the need is a significant one. One name that has resurfaced again is Deebo Samuel but is he worth trading for right now?
Samuel has no doubt left his mark during his time as a San Francisco 49er. Soon to be entering his seventh season in the NFL, the Niners appear willing to part ways with him via trade. The recent knocks on him have been centered on his health and some attitude issues but let’s discuss the health part first.
UPDATE: It appears the 49ers are willing to part with Samuel for a Day 3 selection which would make the Steelers more likely to pull this off.
Samuel has missed 18 of 99 games during his six seasons with San Francisco. He’s had everything from a leg fracture to a knee sprain but the bulk of his injury issues have surrounded his hamstrings. When healthy, Samuel produces more often than not. He averages just under 56 receptions per season and has 42 career touchdowns. 22 of those have come through the air while 20 have come on the ground as he’s been a key cog in Kyle Shanahan’s revolutionary offense.
But what would the Steelers be willing to give up for a guy that’s missed so much time in his first six seasons? If they trade Samuel before June 1, they would absorb a $31.55 million dead money hit on the salary cap. Samuel is also due a $15.4 million option bonus on March 22, which means the 49ers almost certainly need resolution to this situation before then.He’s carrying a cap hit of $15.8 million for 2025. The Steelers could fit him in under the (projected) cap but is this also a situation where they could get the Niners to pay some of his salary as we saw with Russell Wilson and Denver? If I’m San Fran though, I really don’t feel obligated to do so.
You may have noticed that the Steelers seem to keep looking for ‘band-aids’ in free agency or via trade the last few seasons. This is due to some really poor drafts, especially the final couple under Kevin Colbert. I’m not suggesting that Samuel is a band-aid per se, but is he worth bringing into Pittsburgh for just a year or two after three straight seasons of decline?
The idea that the Steelers will sign Tee Higgins is – to be brutally honest – ridiculous. They are not going to pay a free agent more than they pay T.J. Watt. It’s that simple. Therefore, Samuel could be an option but one other thing does concern me.
During the past season, Samuel had to be pulled away from attacking his own kicker, Jake Moody. The kicker’s struggles apparently were too much for Samuel and he put the young man on blast if you will. It wasn’t a good look. He’s also been rather open about mental health struggles. While that is something that should be applauded, NFL owners aren’t crazy about investing millions of dollars into players with such issues.
The Steelers have said nothing about George Pickens being traded so I’ll move on under the impression he returns. With that said, Mike Tomlin would view Samuel as a perfect compliment to Pickens as a number two receiver. I’m always in favor of kicking the tires on a guy but I’m also ready for a youth movement. Or at the very least I’m ready for a guy who has more future ahead of him than Samuel.
