San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel sparked discussion on social media this week after addressing criticism of his production.
In a now-deleted post, Samuel wrote, "Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!"
The comment prompted questions for head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy, who expressed unwavering support for Samuel while emphasizing the team's commitment to finding ways to get him more involved offensively.
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When asked about his comments, Samuel simply responded, "You read what you read. I was frustrated, for sure."
One teammate, however, is predicting big things for Samuel in Thursday night's critical NFC West matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Tight end George Kittle believes Samuel is poised for a breakout performance, arguing that his season stats don't tell the whole story of his still-potent playmaking ability.
"I thought Deebo, actually, against the Bears, the opportunities that he had, he was trying to make the most of them," Kittle said. "And unfortunately, for a couple of those, they had better calls than the plays that we called."
Despite Samuel being limited to just two catches for 22 yards in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, Kittle is confident the star receiver will rise to the occasion against the Rams.
"I think he's gonna have one of those amazing Deebo Thursday night games, especially against the Rams," Kittle shared. "That's what I see. So, guys want to voice their opinions on social media. It is what it is. I don't really care. It doesn't make anybody in this locker room think any differently about him.
"Deebo thinks highly of himself, as we all think very highly of Deebo. He's a hell of a football player. So he just wants to be out there and contribute to the team, and I think he's going to have an opportunity to do that this Thursday."
George Kittle says Deebo Samuel will have a big game against the Rams. pic.twitter.com/c5Ug345wFu
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) December 10, 2024
