Tag: Deebo Samuel

It may be time for 49ers to part with superstar playmaker in offseason

It might be time…

It appears the San Francisco 49ers are headed toward an offseason full of difficult decisions.

The salary cap and quarterback Brock Purdy’s impending contract extension were always going to make the 2025 offseason a rough one, but the team’s sluggish 5-5 start to the 2024 campaign is an indicator that significant changes need to be made to their roster.

One of those changes may be parting ways with wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

It’s nigh impossible to envision the Kyle Shanahan 49ers without Samuel. His rookie season was in 2019, the year the club turned around a sustained run of mediocrity and catapulted to the Super Bowl. In that year we saw glimpses of what eventually made him an All-Pro in 2021.

He is a unique play maker whose 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021 may be a stat line we never see again from a wide receiver.

Samuel was also a consistent offensive spark for San Francisco, and Shanahan wasn’t afraid to lean on him when the team needed to generate offense.

It appears this season that version of Samuel may not be there anymore for the 49ers. In nine games he’s produced 33 receptions, 490 yards and one touchdown on 52 targets. He’s also carried 27 times for just 79 yards and one touchdown. Of his 27 carries, only two have generated either a touchdown or a first down, and his longest run of the season is just 12 yards.

In Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks where the 49ers didn’t have tight end George Kittle, there was a prime opportunity for Samuel to have a major impact. Instead he hauled in four balls for 22 yards and lost one yard on his only carry of the game.

Samuel’s yards after catch per reception are a career-low 7.7 so far this season. His yards-per-route run of 1.98 are the second-lowest mark of his career. He’s also forced only eight missed tackles on 33 receptions after forcing 40 on 73 catches last year. That trend continues in the run game where he has eight missed tackles forced on 27 carries this year, down from 22 missed tackles forced 43 carries a season ago per Pro Football Focus.

The explosiveness that made Samuel the NFL’s most dangerous playmaker through the early portion of his career seems to have evaded him. It’s hard to blame him given the physicality that defined his playmaking ability.

However, the 49ers need to start devising new ways to create offense, and parting ways with Samuel is starting to look like more of a necessity if they want to turn the page to the next chapter of football in San Francisco.

If they make Samuel a post-June 1 designation, they’ll have a $10,751,753 dead cap hit while saving $5,206,105 against the cap per Over the Cap.

With the type of high-priced contracts the 49ers are holding, that extra $5 million in room would be helpful, and Samuel would be able to find a new opportunity with a team that can differently maximize him.

It also opens the door for players like Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing and Jauan Jennings to be more involved in whatever the next evolution of the 49ers’ offense looks like.

Parting ways with the 2021 All-Pro wouldn’t be easy, and it would be perhaps the single biggest move the 49ers could make to signal that a new era has arrived. It may be a necessity though given everything we know after 11 weeks of the 2024 season.

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49ers star hits Bengals for not paying Ja’Marr Chase

A 49ers star says what everyone is thinking about the Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been on the receiving end of massive criticism for the failure to get a contract extension done with star wideout Ja’Marr Chase this past offseason.

And now a San Francisco 49es star has some thoughts about it, too.

During an interview with Bleacher Report, Samuel was shocked that the Bengals didn’t just get a deal done because Chase continues to be one of the best players in the game on a yearly basis.

“It’s definitely not a great idea now with him playing the way he’s playing,” Samuel said. “He was already doing this. That’s the thing. And it’s like, all right, you can make him mad, which is obviously not what you wanted to do…now you’re gonna have another problem this offseason.”

The commentary comes after Chase’s 11-catch outburst that totaled 264 yards and three touchdowns during the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Things are so bad for the Bengals on this outlook now that even Chase’s agent is commenting on it publicly. The number on his contract extension was always going to climb if they waited to get it done, but now serious roster holes along the defense make next offseason even tougher from a money standpoint.

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49ers explain what happened in sideline scuffle during Week 10 victory

Here’s what Jake Moody, Taybor Pepper and Deebo Samuel had to say after their scuffle during Sunday’s game:

Tempers flared on the San Francisco 49ers’ sideline during the team’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

After kicker Jake Moody missed his third kick, wide receiver Deebo Samuel had some words for the 49ers’ second-year kicker. Long snapper Taybor Pepper wasn’t happy with whatever Samuel had to say, and got in the receiver’s face. Samuel responded by striking Pepper in the throat.

There was more yelling between the two players, but no further physical escalation.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t appear bothered by the incident in his press conference after the 49ers’ victory.

“I don’t have much of a take because I didn’t see any of it,” Shanahan said. “So I just got told about it – but probably an obvious one, guys frustrated and something probably happened and you know brothers scuffle a little bit. I didn’t see any of it, so I don’t know how bad it was, but something I’m not too worried about, we’ll fix it. If it hasn’t been fixed already, we’ll fix it on the plane and go back to loving each other tomorrow.”

Samuel had similar sentiments after the game, which the 49ers won thanks to a 44-yard walk-off field goal by Moody.

“Nothing, to be honest with you,” Samuel said. “Just frustrated in the heat of battle. It was a close game and I kinda got out of character a little bit. But I’ll talk to Moody and we’ll get past it.”

Samuel and Pepper both acknowledged Samuel wasn’t saying anything out of line to Moody, and Pepper said his only goal was to stand up for his kicker.

“Just a high-emotion game,” Pepper said. “Football’s high-emotion, and Jake was having a little rough patch there. I was just standing up for Jake, because there was still time on the clock. The game wasn’t over and everybody knows what happened at the end.

“It’s not over until the clock says zero. They all count three when it’s a field goal. And I always got four’s (Moody’s) back.”

Ultimately there weren’t any adverse affects for Moody. He made the 44-yard game-winner as time expired and helped the 49ers get home with a win. He said he’s not concerned about the incident.

“Like I said, it’s in the heat of the moment – it happens,” Moody said. “I do have to make those kicks at the end of the day, so that’s all I’m focused on. I’m not worried on anything like that.”

It’s understandable if some frustrations were mounting. The weather was in the high 80s at kickoff in Tampa Bay and the 49ers were in the midst of a potential collapse in an extremely important game. The team has also had a slew of frustrating losses in 2024, and this one was on the verge of being another.

Chances are this specific incident won’t linger. The larger problem for the 49ers will be avoiding more instances where players have reason for frustration on the sideline.

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Will Deebo Samuel play this week? Injury updates for 49ers WR

49ers WR Deebo Samuel is working through rib and oblique injuries. Here are the latest updates.

Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending knee injury isn’t the only health issue the San Francisco 49ers are dealing with at wide receiver.

WR Deebo Samuel is also working through a couple of injuries. He has rib and oblique ailments he sustained in the 49ers’ Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Here is the latest on Samuel’s status for Sunday when the 49ers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Central Florida.

Deebo Samuel injury update

Samuel is officially listed as ‘questionable’ on the team’s injury report. He was limited in all three practices during the week.

How long will Deebo Samuel be out?

The pair of injuries don’t appear to be serious. Samuel got through practice without any setbacks. If he’s unable to go in Week 10, it stands to reason he’ll be back in Week 11 when the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks.

49ers WR depth chart

If Samuel is unable to go, rookie WR Ricky Pearsall would likely be thrust into a much bigger role. Samuel’s fellow WR Jauan Jennings is also listed as questionable with a hip injury. Jennings would step into a WR1 role if he’s active and Samuel isn’t. Behind them it’s a mixed bag. Rookie Jacob Cowing might see some time, but the team would more likely lean on veteran Chris Conley and second-year WR Ronnie Bell.

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49ers injury update has some bad news for breakout star RB

Jordan Mason was a full go in Wednesday’s practice, but that wasn’t the case Thursday:

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have many changes on their Thursday’ practice participation report.

It’s not a huge surprise that Thursday didn’t feature many differences from Wednesday since generally players limited to start the week will remain limited. Eight players were limited in Wednesday’s practice.

More noteworthy things on a practice report during the week are setbacks or players going the other direction toward less participation. San Francisco had a couple of those on Thursday’s participation report with running back Jordan Mason and safety Malik Mustapha showing up as limited participants after full practices Wednesday.

Mason is dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 6. He was listed as a full participant on Wednesday. Mustapha wasn’t on the report which indicates his calf injury happened at some point during the week.

It’ll be worth monitoring both closely Friday to see if their participation progresses.

Here’s Thursday’s report:

Did not participate

WR Chris Conley (hamstring)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
CB Charvarius Ward (not injury related – personal matter)

This trio is trending toward not playing in Sunday’s game.

Limited participation

DE Nick Bosa (hip)
OL Jon Feliciano (knee)
DL Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
RB Jordan Mason (shoulder)
RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles)
K Jake Moody (ankle)
S Malik Mustapha (calf)
WR Deebo Samuel (rib, oblique)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (back)

Mustapha and Mason showing up here is a little alarming. That the rest of the group, specifically Bosa, McCaffrey, Jennings and Samuel, didn’t have any setbacks is a good sign for their availability Sunday.

Full participation

LT Trent Williams
QB Brandon Allen (finger)
CB Renardo Green (ankle)
LB Dee Winters (concussion)

Good news for the 49ers that neither Green nor Winters suffered a setback.

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49ers injury updates from Kyle Shanahan heading into Bye week

Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Jordan Mason headline a laundry list of injury updates from Kyle Shanahan on Monday.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on a conference call Monday and provided some injury updates for the team heading into their Week 9 Bye.

Shanahan said wide receiver Deebo Samuel is considered day-to-day with a rib injury and an oblique strain. It’s unclear what his status would be if the 49ers had a game in Week 9, but having a week off to get right should be helpful for the 49ers’ former All-Pro WR.

Samuel had a good game Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys before exiting with what the team classified as a rib injury. He had four catches for 71 yards and four carries for 15 yards. He also had a 66-yard touchdown catch wiped out because of a penalty. Samuel will be re-evaluated after the Bye.

Running back Jordan Mason also left Sunday’s game early after re-injuring the shoulder he hurt in Week 6. Shanahan on Sunday night told reporters Mason might have been able to re-enter the game, but they stuck with rookie Isaac Guerendo who was having a strong performance.

Mason will also be re-evaluated after the Bye week.

It stands to reason the 49ers won’t need him to shoulder as much of the workload after the Bye with Christian McCaffrey expected to return. However, if his shoulder isn’t right, we could see Guerendo take over the RB2 carries while Mason heals.

Rookie cornerback Renardo Green, who was the 49ers’ highest-graded defensive player by Pro Football Focus on Sunday night, hurt his ankle late in the game. Shanahan said he’s day-to-day, which is a good sign that he’ll be okay after the week off.

Second-year linebacker Dee Winters has also been diagnosed with a concussion and is in the concussion protocol. He took a pair of hard hits to the head while making a special teams tackle Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the receiving corps took another hit. Veteran WR Chris Conley is dealing with a hamstring injury and is considered week-to-week.

Some good news on that front though: Shanahan said the team is expecting Jauan Jennings to return after the Bye from a hip injury that cost him Weeks 7 and 8. Jennings is third on the 49ers in receiving yards and second in receiving touchdowns despite missing their last two contests.

Shanahan also reiterated the plan is for McCaffrey’s practice window Monday after the Bye in hopes of getting him a bonus practice that day and a full week of practice to ramp up for their Week 10 game in Tampa Bay. McCaffrey will go through a simulated week of practice over the Bye to ensure he’s ready to return to action for the first time this season.

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49ers injury updates immediately following huge win over Cowboys

Injury updates for the 49ers:

The San Francisco 49ers paid a bit of a price for their Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan had a quartet of injury updates after the game with four players who were banged up and didn’t return to action.

Running back Jordan Mason in the first half hurt the same shoulder he injured in Week 8. He left to the locker room early and returned for the second half with his helmet, but he never entered the game in the second half. Shanahan said Mason might have been able to return.

“Maybe he could’ve,” Shanahan said. “But Isaac (Guerendo) was rolling and he did a good job.”

Guerendo had 85 yards on 14 carries in Mason’s stead.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel left the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury. It’s unclear when he was injured, but he was unable to re-enter the game in some key situations late in the contest.

On the defensive side, linebacker Dee Winters left with a concussion he sustained while covering a kickoff. Rookie cornerback Renardo Green also hurt his ankle.

Shanahan didn’t have long-term prognoses for any of the players hurt in Week 8, but with the 49ers’ Bye week in Week 9, they’ll have some extra time to get right in time for a post-Bye playoff push.

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49ers injury update: Deebo Samuel (rib) questionable to return vs. Cowboys

The 49ers pass catcher is listed as questionable to return against the Cowboys after suffering a rib injury during Sunday Night Football.

After Jordan Mason exited Sunday Night Football in the first half, another playmaker for the San Francisco 49ers picked up an injury against the Dallas Cowboys.

Following an exit from the game in the fourth quarter, Deebo Samuel is listed as questionable to return against the Cowboys due to a rib injury.

Via @LindseyThiry on Twitter:

Samuel exited last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs after three snaps due to an illness. Samuel was later hospitalized due to pneumonia but was able to return to practice later in the week.

With Samuel’s status questionable on Sunday night, the 49ers will need to lean on rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing along with veteran Chris Conley. George Kittle will likely continue to help lead the 49ers passing attack with Samuel sidelined.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Is Rico Dowdle playing today? Cowboys-49ers inactives for Week 8

Some clarity to the suddenly crowded but still questionable Cowboys RB room. Week 8 inactives are announced. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Fans who were confused about the shares each running back would see after the elevation of Dalvin Cook got a bit of clarity Sunday afternoon, though not what they were expecting. Dallas’ leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, has been ruled out from the game after showing up to Levi Stadium with a bug.

That answers the crowded backfield question for now. Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke are all active for the Week 8 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

As for the other sideline, as expected Deebo Samuel is going to try and play less than a week after checking out of the hospital from a bout with pneumonia.

Here’s a look at both team’s full inactives list.

Dallas Cowboys

RB Rico Dowdle (illness)
CB Caelen Carson (shoulder)
DE Micah Parsons (ankle)
QB Trey Lance (emergency QB3)
CB Andrew Booth Jr.
OT Matt Waletzko

San Francisco 49ers

QB Joshua Dobbs
WR Jauan Jennings
DL Kevin Givens
K Jake Moody
LB Jalen Graham
CB Rock Ya-Sin
OL Ben Bartch

49ers injury news: George Kittle, Deebo Samuel active vs. Cowboys

49ers inactives do NOT include George Kittle and Deebo Samuel.

The San Francisco 49ers got good news on the injury front just before their game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Neither tight end George Kittle nor Deebo Samuel were listed among the team’s inactives, meaning both are officially playing in a massive game for the 49ers.

Kittle was questionable because of a foot injury. Samuel was questionable after a bout with pneumonia. Both players missed Wednesday’s practice and were limited Thursday and Friday.

After going through pregame workouts, both players were good to go in the game.

Here’s who won’t be active for the 49ers:

QB Joshua Dobbs (QB3)
WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
DL Kevin Givens (groin)
K Jake Moody
LB Jalen Graham
CB Rock Ya-Sin
OL Ben Bartch

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was also questionable with an illness, but he’s good to go as well.

An interesting twist is that second-year TE Brayden Willis is active for only the second time this season. That may be because the team has questions about whether Kittle will be able to play a full complement of snaps. They may also be aiming to run more multiple TE sets against a Dallas defense that hasn’t been particularly effective at stopping the run.

Kickoff at Levi’s Stadium is set for 5:20pm Pacific Time.

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