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San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel raised some eyebrows last week when he posted on social media that he was “not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!” amidst criticism of his play in the 2024 season.
A crucial drop on a third-down play during Thursday’s 12-6 loss against the Los Angeles Rams didn’t help his cause, to the point that NFL legend and Niners’ great Jerry Rice called him out on Monday during an appearance on 95.7 The Game’s The Morning Roast:
“I don’t know what is going on, because the weirdest thing is I think he had like three catches for 16 yards… for me, I would have been pissed. I would have been pissed at myself, I would have been pissed at the whole scenario, and I would pretty much go to work on the football field, at practice. And if you do it during practice, you’re going to be able to do it during the game.
“That ball that he dropped, after you complain about not getting that many touches, you cannot drop the football. Because everybody is going to get down on you and they’re going to come after you. I never said anything about not getting touches or anything like that. I just worked, man. I just kept working, and if you show it during practice, they’re going to make the call during the actual football game where you’re going to have opportunities, where you can make catches, get into a rhythm and be productive.”
Samuel, 28, has not had a good season, at least by the lofty standards he’s previously set, catching 43 passes for 569 yards and a touchdown while adding 34 carries for 95 yards and a score. The expectation, with Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey out for the season, was that Samuel would post far bigger numbers and have a larger role in the offense.
Instead, it’s been George Kittle who has picked up the slack, leading the team in receptions (60), receiving yards (861) and receiving touchdowns (eight). Jauan Jennings has also had a strong season, posting 59 catches for 805 yards and six scores.
Perhaps Samuel and quarterback Brock Purdy simply don’t have chemistry. He was the third option in the passing game last year as well, and McCaffrey’s two-way ability limited Samuel’s overall usage.
But with the 6-8 Niners beset by injuries this season, Samuel needed to step up. Instead, he leads the team with five drops. When your performance results in the greatest receiver of all time calling you out, it’s not a great look.