49ers’ Deebo Samuel Trolls Lions’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson as Ongoing Feud Simmers

The San Francisco 49ers standout wide receiver got the latest laugh on the Detroit Lions defensive back.
49ers’ Deebo Samuel Trolls Lions’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson as Ongoing Feud Simmers
49ers’ Deebo Samuel Trolls Lions’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson as Ongoing Feud Simmers /

Deebo Samuel got the latest laugh in his ongoing feud with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

Samuel’s San Francisco 49ers did the unthinkable on Sunday night, erasing a 17-point deficit to claim a 34—31 comeback win over the Detroit Lions in the NFC championship game, securing a berth in Super Bowl LVIII in the process. 

During the game, C.J. Gardner-Johnson went viral—and was then roasted for—waving goodbye to 49ers fans in the second quarter before San Francisco stormed back.

After the game, Samuel continued the longtime war of words between the two, taking to his account on X, formerly Twitter, to troll Gardner-Johnson for his premature celebration. 

“Somebody go check on lil bruh,” Samuel wrote, adding laughing emoji faces to the post. 

The beef between the two spilled out onto the field on Sunday, as Gardner-Johnson was flagged for a personal foul after throwing a blind-side block on Samuel following a Brock Purdy interception. 

The bad blood between Samuel and Gardner-Johnson initially flared after last year’s NFC championship game, when Gardner-Johnson played for the Philadelphia Eagles. It escalated when Gardner-Johnson took a shot at Samuel on social media following a pregame skirmish between the 49ers and the Cleveland Browns back in Week 6. 

Gardner-Johnson implied that Samuel couldn't defend himself and was “acting hard,” to which the 49ers receiver responded by posting a clip of Gardner-Johnson getting punched during a 2020 game.

After Sunday’s result, the latest round of the feud goes to Samuel. 


Published
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.