‘A really bad look’ – Deebo Samuel being paid $71 million but is badly letting 49ers down and Packers post-game decision proves it
The San Francisco 49ers' season is slowly starting to unravel.
The latest nadir in a season of nadirs came on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, when last season's Super Bowl losers suffered their worst ever loss to the Green Bay Packers -- an embarrassing 38-10 defeat that was never remotely close.
The defeat -- the third largest of head coach Kyle Shanahan's tenure -- was hardly surprising given the slew of injuries, most notably to quarterback Brock Purdy, left tackle Trent Williams, and defensive end Nick Bosa.
Without that Pro-Bowl trio, the Niners badly needed their remaining captains to step up if they were to have any chance of overcoming the Packers.
But that failed to happen and Deebo Samuel is arguably the biggest culprit.
Samuel had just one reception for 21 yards off four targets against Green Bay. The supposed dual-threat superstar, signed to a three-year extension worth $71.55 million in 2022, also failed to record a rushing attempt for the first time in a full game this season.
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The 28-year-old may point to backup quarterback Brandon Allen as an extenuating circumstance, but that fails to wash given what Samuel did with his targets.
His biggest miscue came in the third quarter with the 49ers down ten on a third-and-8 with the ball at Green Bay's 45-yard line.
Allen fired the ball towards Samuel, who let it slide through his hands into the waiting arms of Packers safety Xavier McKinney, who returned it 48 yards.
Green Bay scored a few plays later, and a potential three-point deficit was suddenly a 17 point hole.
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To make matters worse, Samuel declined to speak with the media after the game, a decision widely criticized by fans who expect more from a so-called leader.
"Getting paid $24 million a year and he’s a captain, not a good look," one person posted.
"This is a really bad look. Dude is a captain. Having horrible games or stretches happens to the best - leaders own it and face the firing squads," commented a second.
"Captain Deebo fights with teammates, doesn’t show up for media and playing like trash. Give that C patch to Jennings," said a third.
"Pretty weak for someone who wears the C on his chest," a fourth chimed in with.
Samuel finished last season with 60 receptions for 892 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns, as well as rushing for 225 yards.
His versatility and explosiveness saw him named to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams in 2021, but his stats this season are stark in comparison.
Samuel has seriously underperformed through 11 games. He has 34 catches for 511 yards and just 590 combined yards and two total touchdowns.
It's a fall off in keeping with the 49ers' own.
Week 12 was the perfect chance for Samuel to be the offensive spark the Niners have been sorely lacking.
Instead, he let the opportunity slip through his fingers like that costly third quarter dart from Allen.
The 49ers restructured Samuel's contract earlier this season in order to free up cap space which was ultimately used to tie down Williams and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk.
Samuel is still one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, though, and is tied down in California until 2025.
The 49es have the option to let him go after that, or they can decide to keep him, in which case he'll be locked up until 2027.
Before the season started, that seemed like a no-brainer. Now, the Niners' front office might be seriously considering letting him walk.
The Niners were 5-5 heading into Sunday's contest, desperately searching for a positive result to course correct their season and put them in playoff contention in the topsy-turvy NFC West.
That, obviously, failed to materialize, and now the team many believed at the start of the season to be running out of time to win a Super Bowl may have even less time than they previously thought.
The 5-6 Niners are under .500 at the latest point in a season since 2018.
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They're riding a two-game skid with the small matter of a trip to the ascending Buffalo Bills looming.
Samuel, and the 49ers, need to get it together. And fast.