Deebo blames perceived ‘struggles’ this season on lack of targets

Deebo blames perceived ‘struggles’ this season on lack of targets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

49ers star wide receiver and captain Deebo Samuel has been vocal about his displeasure regarding opportunities in San Francisco’s offense. And no, he didn’t lay hands on anybody this time.

Despite the 49ers’ 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Samuel took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday to complain about his lack of targets.

Samuel, a six-year NFL veteran, has seen career lows with 5.33 targets and 46.1 receiving yards per game during the 2024 NFL season. He has caught 40 of 64 targets for 533 yards and a touchdown thus far.

Samuel experienced a similar situation during the 49ers’ electric run last year; though, he probably was content because of the team’s 12-5 finish and Super Bowl LVIII appearance. But this season isn’t last season.

San Francisco is 6-7 and hasn’t had stars such as running back Christian McCaffrey or wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk available for large chunks of the season to compete with Samuel for touches.

The 28-year-old followed up his post with another — and a repost — clarifying that he doesn’t mean to point fingers at anyone in San Francisco’s locker room.

Fans can interpret these posts how they want.

49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings and the entire roster are, according to Samuel’s social media activity, off the hook. However, Samuel probably is upset with someone or something and wouldn’t have taken to social media after a crucial win for nothing.

Sure, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy and coach Kyle Shanahan could look Samuel’s way more. But Samuel doesn’t seem to be excluded intentionally.

The 49ers have experienced constant problems since the Kansas City Chiefs’ confetti rained down back in February. Samuel’s lack of targets seems to be a byproduct of injuries, wear and tear and inconsistency on the depth chart.

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