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Elite wide receiver emerges in NFL trade market for Ben Johnson and Chicago Bears' offense

The Chicago Bears need a No. 3 wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen in 2025, and the perfect candidate just became available for trade.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears may have just been given the perfect opportunity to land a replacement for Keenan Allen this offseason: San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the 49ers will explore trading their superstar offensive weapon this offseason.

"Sources say the 49ers are expected to explore trading Samuel this offseason," Rapoport wrote. "While it's not a certainty that Samuel is done in San Francisco, it's enough of a possibility that both sides appear to be at peace with moving on if it goes that way."

Samuel is coming off the worst season of his career in 2024, and following the 49ers' major investements in Brandon Aiyuk (four-year, $120 million extension last offseason), and a 2024 first-round pick in Ricky Pearsall, Samuel suddenly is expendable.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) during the game against the Detroit Lions
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Samuel finished last season with 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. It marked the third straight season that he failed to reach 900 receiving yards, but Samuel's impact on San Francisco's offense extends way beyond his receiving stats.

Deebo Samuel is a do-it-all weapon who's equally impactful as a runner as he is a receiver. His remarkable 2021 season was a signature year when he totaled 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards. He was simply unstoppable.

Rapoport expects Samuel to have "ample suitors," and the Bears should be one of them.

Still just 29 years old (he won't turn 30 until next offseason), Samuel has plenty of juice left in his legs to provide Ben Johnson's offense with the kind of power-slot receiver that Amon-Ra St. Brown has starred as over the last few seasons.

Samuel's ability to contribute as a runner out of the backfield is a huge plus, too. The Bears are expected to address running back in the 2025 NFL Draft after D'Andre Swift's disappointing debut season with the team. Adding Samuel would give Johnson another talented runner in what's expected to be an improved stable of backs next season.

There's also Samuel's contract that makes a potential trade appealing. He has one year left on his three-year, $71 million deal. The Chicago Bears would essentially do the 'Keenan Allen' experiment all over again; bring aboard a veteran star receiver and let them play their way into a multi-year new deal with the team.

Perhaps Samuel will make a new contract a condition of a trade. If that's the case, the Bears would likely be out of the mix. But if his next team inherits his 2025 cap hit of $15.8 million, Chicago is an obvious match.

The price to acquire Deebo Samuel should be reasonable, as well. If the ask is, say, a third-round pick? Poles should waste no time sending an offer to John Lynch and getting a deal done.

Caleb Williams throwing passes to DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Deebo Samuel? Yeah, Bears fans can get behind that.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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