Deebo Samuel: Brandon Aiyuk 'gonna be a part of this team'

The Brandon Aiyuk situation continues to roll along as the San Francisco 49ers prepare for their second preseason game on Saturday. Rumors continue to swirl about a potential trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers while San Francisco tries to keep the star receiver in the Bay Area.

Count Deebo Samuel among those who think the 49ers will be successful. He sounded confident Aiyuk would be a 49er this season.

Samuel told Kay Adams he has a feeling Aiyuk will stay put rather than move on to another team. He’s in search of a long-term contract as he enters the last year of his rookie deal, and that led him to request a trade. But with some potential momentum from the Niners, Samuel is optimistic.

“Can we win a Super Bowl without BA?” Samuel said on Up and Adams. “I think BA’s gonna be a part of this team, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

The 49ers reportedly had the framework of a deal in place with the Cleveland Browns, but the Steelers emerged as Aiyuk’s “preferred destination,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported. Pittsburgh has long been seen as a trade candidate, and it’s turning into a waiting game of sorts.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the 49ers are waiting to say yes to a deal in place with the Steelers. While the specifics aren’t known, the sense is Pittsburgh is in position to give Aiyuk the contract he wants. Now, the ball is in San Francisco’s court.

“Here’s where it stands, after talking to several sources informed of this situation,” Rapoport said on The Insiders Tuesday night. “The 49ers and the Steelers do, in fact, have a deal to trade Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers to the Steelers. And in any other situation – literally – that would be major news. Except for this situation. There are many other parts of this. By the way, I should also mention the Steelers are also in a very good place for the Brandon Aiyuk contract extension if he got traded to the Steelers. And again, that deal is in place. It just takes the 49ers to say, ‘Yes, we are doing it,’ which they have not done. I want to repeat, the 49ers have not done [that] yet.

“They have been waiting because they are also dual-paths – same player, dual-paths – they are also trying to get a long-term extension done with Brandon Aiyuk. They have made a big-time offer to him. It is not something he has accepted, it is not good enough. That is where it stands – with the deal for the Steelers over here, the deal for Brandon Aiyuk’s staying with the 49ers over here and the 49ers, Aiyuk and the Steelers all right around here [in the middle] unsure of where they’re gonna go. That’s it.”