It is no surprise that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is having a down year. The explosive plays are gone, and his overall production has dipped far below the standard set by the former All-Pro.
Thus far, Samuel has 40 receptions, 553 yards, and two touchdowns — all three categories on pace for a career-low since the 2020 COVID season.
He has caught over five passes just once this season and failed to surpass 100 scrimmage yards in nine of the 11 games he’s played.
In Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears, Samuel touched the ball seven times for 35 yards. His 22 receiving yards marked the fourth consecutive week Samuel failed to reach the 30-receiving-yard plateau.
Meanwhile, his 13 rushing yards were the highest since a Week 10 victory vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Samuel kept it short with the media after the game, calling it “a good win.”
Clearly, Samuel was hiding his frustrations and decided to let them out on social media the next day.
Deebo’s Social Media Message:
Samuel took to X stating, “Not struggling at all, just getting the ball.”
The post comes at an awkward time for Samuel, one of the team’s eight captains.
The win over Chicago snapped San Francisco’s three-game losing streak and kept their playoff hopes alive ahead of a must-win game this Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams. Not to mention, Samuel touched the football the second most times of any 49ers player on Sunday vs. Chicago. Yet, he finished with fourth most scrimmage yards.
Samuel followed up his original post by clarifying that he does not blame his teammates for his poor play.
If not his teammates, who is responsible for Samuel’s regression in 2024? Is Samuel blaming head coach Kyle Shanahan for his career-low 7.5 yards after the catch? What about his 1.73 yards run per route?
Again, the timing of Samuel’s post is ill-advised. But valid or not, he is not the first 49ers player to voice displeasure with their role in the offense.
49ers Players Speak Out Amidst Down Season
After the 49ers’ Week 13 loss vs. the Buffalo Bills, tight end George Kittle shared his displeasure with his role in the offense after a one-catch outing.
“I do not have an explanation. I think I ran six more routes the rest of the day [after catching San Francisco’s first pass of the game].” Kittle continued, “I felt pretty open multiple times. It is what it is.”
Following his postgame comments, Kittle exploded for 151 receiving yards, including three receptions for over 30 yards in Sunday’s win over Chicago.
The hope is after his social media outburst, Samuel will finally break out of the season-long slump and power San Francisco past the Rams as he has done before.
In nine games against Los Angeles, Samuel has 47 receptions for 639 yards and seven touchdowns. Whether he can rewind the clock has yet to be seen, but the 49ers need Deebo Samuel if they want to stave off elimination for another week.
