Prior to the NFL Draft, there were rumors that the San Francisco 49ers were receiving calls from other teams inquiring about wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

It wasn’t the first time Samuel’s name popped up in trade rumors recently, as fans and media pundits speculated if the wide out could get traded earlier this offseason.

The 49ers then went and selected University of Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall with their first-round pick, adding even more fuel to the fire.

But Samuel doesn’t appear to be sweating the future.

“I know what’s going on, but it is what it is,” Samuel said, via Dianna Russini of The Athletic. “I’m good staying with them. I’m chilling.”

The question is, does San Francisco want to keep Samuel long term?

We already know that the Niners are encountering issues with fellow receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is preparing to enter the final year of his deal and wants to get paid.

The 49ers have some pretty significant financial restraints and may not be able to afford Aiyuk as a result, but if San Francisco moves Samuel, it may make keeping Aiyuk long term easier.

Aiyuk established himself as the Niners’ clear No. 1 wide out this past season, hauling in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. Samuel is more renowned for his versatility, but he has had some difficulty staying healthy, and his last couple of years have been fairly underwhelming as a pass-catcher.

Perhaps San Francisco is planning to jettison Samuel, which would explain why it took Pearsall with the 31st overall pick.

Or, maybe the Niners have no intention of moving either Aiyuk or Samuel and simply wanted to draft Pearsall for some depth at the position.

We’ll see what happens, but the Deebo Samuel storyline is certainly an interesting one to monitor heading into next season.

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