Bear Digest

3 reasons why the Chicago Bears should trade for San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel

It seems unlikely that Keenan Allen will return to Chicago and the Bears' run game struggled all season. Fortunately for GM Ryan Poles, he could address both of these concerns with one trade.
Pete Martuneac|
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While nothing is certain yet, it appears that the San Francisco 49ers and their 2021 All-Pro receiver are heading for a mutual parting of ways. NFL insider Ian Rappaport reported the potential split last week.

The Niners will have no shortage of prospective trade partners for Samuel, one of whom should be the Chicago Bears. They're likely to let Keenan Allen depart in free agency and, while some think they could replace him with a lesser-known option, a trade for a star like Samuel makes a lot of sense.

Here are three reasons why GM Ryan Poles should make this big swing.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) during the game against the Detroit Lions
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1. Deebo Samuel would address two Bears concerns at once

Samuel has been something of a unicorn with San Francisco as a playmaker both in the passing game and on the ground. Bringing him into Chicago would plug two roster gaps at once.

After DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, the Bears don't have a player of note in the wide receiver room, and the running game was massively disappointing in 2024.

By swinging a trade for Samuel, you'd be giving new head coach Ben Johnson a double-edged sword.

2. The Bears can afford Samuel's contract and have the draft picks to make a trade

It's unlikely Samuel would command a price as high as a first-round pick, but the Niners would certainly have to receive a Day 2 pick. Chicago has two second-rounders and a third-rounder to work with, so they could potentially pull off this trade and still have three selections in the Top 75.

As far as the salary cap is concerned, there's nothing to worry about here. The Chicago Bears enter 2025 with the fifth-most salary cap space and Samuel's 2025 cap hit would only be about $16 million, according to Spotrac.

3. Deebo Samuel would boost Bears' odds in NFC

The Lions have lost both their coordinators, the Niners' roster is getting old, and the Eagles lost hotshot offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to the Saints. This leaves several teams with a realistic path to the conference crown.

The Bears have such a path, albeit a narrow one. Everything would have to go right, and they'd have to keep up with the contenders in an arms race. The Lions, Eagles, and Niners all have at least three bona fide playmakers on offense, and Samuel would be that third guy for Chicago.

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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