The San Francisco 49ers steadied the ship on Sunday with a dominant 38–13 victory over a reeling Chicago Bears franchise. The Niners, defending NFC champions, now sit at 6–7 and stay within striking distance of the division-leading Seattle Seahawks as they hit the stretch run of the 2024 season.
All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel was not among the players who had a good day in the win over the Bears. Samuel totaled only two catches for 22 yards and added 13 yards rushing on five attempts. It’s continued a concerning trend for San Francisco this season as the 28-year-old Samuel is on pace for one of the worst statistical seasons of his career.
After another tough outing against Chicago Samuel took to X to defend himself against critics and went viral for saying the problem was that he wasn’t getting enough touches in the 49ers’ offense. On Tuesday head coach Kyle Shanahan responded, telling reporters it was not a distraction and they plan to get the ball in his hands more often.
Kyle Shanahan said Deebo Samuel’s posts on X weren’t a distraction to the 49ers and that he and Deebo talk every day: “We’d like to get Deebo the ball more and we’ll continue to work to that.”
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 10, 2024
It is not necessarily ideal for a coach to see a star player stating their lack of touches is the reason for a lack of production. On the other hand, a receiver calling for the ball more often is a time-honored tradition in football that, more often than not, just reflects their desire to make plays than any true discontent.
The Niners will need everything Samuel can give them as the NFC playoff picture tightens.
