It comes as no surprise that the Pittsburgh Steelers will go big-name hunting at the wide receiver position this offseason, and some potential targets have already begun to emerge.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay named the San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel Sr. as a star who may be on the move over the coming months, listing the Steelers as a potential landing spot alongside the Washington Commanders.
“Teams like the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers—two playoff teams with a notable lack of pass-catching depth—might be willing to pay a premium for Samuel,” Kay wrote. “He’d be an ideal addition to any contender’s receiving corps as a big-time playmaker who could help with a Super Bowl push.”
Pittsburgh needs another top option at the position, especially when considering George Pickens’ uncertain future with the team. Should it fail to land a star like Tee Higgins in free agency, pivoting and acquiring Samuel could represent an appealing alternative.
A second-round pick out of South Carolina in the 2019 NFL Draft, he posted 961 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie before appearing in just seven games during his sophomore campaign due to injury.
Samuel broke out in 2021, however, accumulating 60 receptions for 1,405 receiving yards and six touchdowns while adding 365 yards and eight scores on the ground. Consequentially, he was named both a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler for the first (and only) time in his career.
While Samuel hasn’t quite kept up with that pace over the past three seasons, he’s hardly been ineffective. From 2022 to 2024, he’s tallied 2,787 yards from scrimmage to go with 21 touchdowns across 43 contests.
As Samuel enters the last year of his contract, which holds a cap hit of $15.825 million, the Niners could opt to either trade or release him. Should they do so, the Steelers may pursue him in hopes of adding a proven weapon to their offense.
