Packers: Forget about possibility of Deebo Samuel trade

Deebo Samuel to the Green Bay Packers? Don’t build your hopes up.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that Samuel has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

Maybe Samuel becomes the latest star wide receiver to be traded by a Super Bowl contender.

Don’t count on a move to the Packers.

Even if the 49ers make Samuel available in a trade — and that remains a big if — it would make no sense for them to make a deal with another NFC contender.

There should be plenty of interested teams in Samuel, and many from the AFC.

Why would the 49ers willingly strengthen one of their biggest rivals in the conference? Losing Samuel would be one thing for Kyle Shanahan’s team. But to send him to the Packers? That just doesn’t seem likely at all.

For it to be possible, GM Brian Gutekunst would need to offer more than any other team. More than teams like the New York Jets or Kansas City Chiefs would be willing to give up.

Green Bay does have a lot of draft resources to work with. The Packers own multiple first-round picks and two more in the second round.

But so do the Jets. So do the Chiefs.

For the Niners to even consider an offer from the Packers, we can assume they would want multiple high draft picks. That’s not something Green Bay should consider.

Then there is a new deal. Like with the Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill trades, any team trading for Samuel would need to work out a long-term contract as part of it.

Can Green Bay afford to make Samuel one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league? Maybe. But that wouldn’t be easy with new deals needed for Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, and Elgton Jenkins in the near future.

In all likelihood, it would never even get that far. The 49ers don’t need to trade Samuel. If they do, we can almost guarantee it won’t be to the Packers.