San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel had his sights set on a significant NFL milestone during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. Needing just four rushing yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards over his career, Samuel aimed to become only the second player in NFL history to achieve at least 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first five NFL seasons.
Samuel finished the game with 11 rushing yards, joining Hall of Fame wide receiver Charley Taylor in the record books. Evidently, the achievement was significant for Samuel, prompting him to campaign head coach Kyle Shanahan for some opportunities on Sunday.
"I had told Kyle earlier in the week that I needed like [four] yards to kind of break a record and be the second player in NFL history to do it," Samuel shared with Kay Adams on her FanDuel TV morning show. "And he was like, 'Yeah, man. I'll be sure that we get that done.' And so kind of nice of him to call a play for me to get it done."
Deebo asked Kyle Shanahan for touches in week 18 to beat ANOTHER record…
Shanny obliged. ✅
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) January 9, 2024
Entering Week 18's game against the Rams, the 49ers had already set an impressive NFL record, becoming the first team ever to have a running back (Christian McCaffrey), two wide receivers (Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk), and a tight end (George Kittle) each register at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in a single season.
They aren't done yet. As the NFC's top-seeded team, they'll enjoy the Wild Card round from the comfort of their couches, awaiting to discover which opponent will visit Levi's Stadium on the weekend of January 20.
"It's amazing," Samuel said. "We get to kick our feet up and get to watch all the other teams play this week, and see who we end up playing, and kind of get a head start on everybody. We off today and tomorrow and hit the ground running on Thursday and Friday with practice."