The 49ers' offense is stacked with elite playmakers, but some NFL pundits have their doubts about how long the team can sustain the star power.
NBC Sports' Peter King already believes San Francisco might have to make a difficult decision in the near future with its dynamic wide receiver duo, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
“I would be surprised if they were able to pay both guys at or near the top of the receiver market when the bill comes due for them," King said Tuesday on 95.7 The Game's "Willard & Dibs." "Surprised but not shocked, because [49ers executives] John Lynch, Adam Peters and Paraag Marathe, they do a good job of understanding where everybody fits in the cap world. But I’m not positive they’ll be able to sign both of those guys.”
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After some offseason drama before the start of the 2022 season, Samuel agreed to a massive three-year 49ers contract extension worth $73.5 million, including $58.1 million in guaranteed money.
And here's how his contract extension will impact San Francisco's cap space:
2023: $9.14M
2024: $29.03M
San Francisco 49ers
2025: $24.66M
2026: $7.11M (void)
Samuel has looked like his old self through two weeks after an "awful" 2022 campaign. King believes Samuel is a special and unique NFL player.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in the game right now that’s really similar to him,” King said.
Meanwhile, Aiyuk is the next man up due for a large payday.
He is coming off the best showing of his career, consisting of 78 receptions for 1,015 yards, with eight touchdown catches. He said he was ready to "take off" and kept his promise entering his fourth NFL season.
The 25-year-old set a career-high with 129 yards on eight catches in the season opener, and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aiyuk is scheduled to make a fully guaranteed $14.1 million in 2024 after the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option. His performance this season, though, will be telling if he's a 49er for years to come.
For now, though, the team is focused on the present and winning their sixth Super Bowl championship.
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