San Francisco 49ers have reportedly agreed to trade for Justin Jefferson after the Veteran Departure
The San Francisco 49ers fielded multiple calls for receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in the leadup to the 2024 NFL Draft.
But as ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, they were also busy working the phones trying to trade for a superstar wide receiver. During a recent episode of “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” Schefter disclosed that the Minnesota Vikings had several suitors for Justin Jefferson before ultimately deciding to lock him up to a four-year, $140 million deal.
“There were teams that reached out,” Schefter said. “The New York Jets reached out about Justin Jefferson…the Indianapolis Colts reached out about Justin Jefferson…the 49ers reached out about Justin Jefferson.”
It’s unknown what the three teams offered or if discussions got that far because Schefter said the Vikings rebuffed every team that inquired about the three-time All-Pro.
“Every team that called the Vikings before the draft was told ‘We’re not trading him,’” Schefter said. “The conversations went nowhere with anybody, so it was a moot point.”
All three teams drafted a receiver in April’s draft. San Francisco took Ricky Pearsall in the first round, Indianapolis grabbed Adonai Mitchell in the second round and New York selected Malachi Corley in the third round
The 49ers likely would have been the most intriguing trade partner for the Vikings of the teams Schefter listed.
Any potential deal for Jefferson, a three-time Pro Bowler and the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, would have surely involved Aiyuk or Samuel going to Minnesota, along with San Francisco’s 2024 first-round pick (31st overall) plus other high picks.
Aiyuk is seeking a new long-term deal. He is set to play the 2024 season on his $14.12M fifth-year option, and he likely would have been the more appealing of the two wideouts in Minnesota’s eyes as he’s two years younger and has been the more productive receiver as of late.
The 26-year-old Aiyuk has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with 75 or more receptions and 15 touchdowns the last two years. He was named a Second Team All-Pro for the first time in his career in 2023.
Samuel has two more years left on his contract, with cap hits of $28.6 million and $24.2M in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The 28-year-old has one 1,000-yard season in the last three years (1,405 in 2021), but he adds value out of the backfield in certain running back packages. Samuel has 1,007 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on the ground in his career.
