Deebo Samuel Finally is Living Up to his Contract with the 49ers
Deebo Samuel said he was awful last season.
And while that was an overstatement, he certainly did not live up to the contract extension he signed just before last season that pays him an average of nearly $24 million per season -- by far the most of all the 49ers' offensive weapons. He missed 4 games, gained only 864 yards from scrimmage and scored a mere 5 touchdowns. And that's because he was overweight and out of shape, according to Samuel.
This season, Samuel came into the offseason slim and in terrific shape -- he was determined to prove last season was a blip, and aberration. Not the real Deebo. And yet, until recently, his 2023 season was almost exactly like his 2022 season. Forgettable. At times, Samuel looked like the fourth-best weapon on the offense after Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Samuel looked superfluous and redundant.
But he injured his shoulder Week 6 against the Browns and missed a month, which means it took him a few games to get back into football shape. But he's in football shape now, and for the first time in two years, he's playing like the best offensive weapon in football. In the 49ers' past three games, Samuel has 384 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns. He has been completely unstoppable and everything the 49ers hoped he'd be when they gave him all that money.
When Samuel is motivated and in shape, the 49ers are nearly impossible to beat. So if he maintains his current level of play, I'm sure the 49ers will forgive him for the past year and a half.