Deebo Samuel will be SF 49ers breakout star in 2021
The SF 49ers’ talented wide receiver never got going in 2020 due to injury, yet Deebo Samuel helps change that next season.
Stick a fork in it, the SF 49ers season is officially done and dusted for 2020 after a loss to the archrival Seattle Seahawks to close things out in Week 17.
All one can say is it could not possibly have come quickly enough. The amount of hardship on the field, especially in terms of injuries, would’ve been shocking if 2020 wasn’t an especially shocking year for everyone in general.
It’s impossible to narrow it down to any one injury, given there were so many big names that missed all or most of the season, but one of the most disappointing injuries was to wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
After a very promising rookie year, the fans could only get glimpses of the talent Samuel has and his potential partnership with rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Samuel played only seven games for San Francisco over the season, essentially six as he was out for the vast majority of his final game against Washington in Week 14, but still had 33 receptions for 391 runs and a touchdown while adding an extra dimension for what was usually a stagnant offense for the team.
The potential is there, and 2021 is the perfect time to break out as the true No. 1 receiver for the SF 49ers.
Niners fans know by now exactly what the team has in Samuel. He’s a tough fighter for every yard, equally adept at catching or running the ball, and has the speed to run away from defenders.
He may not be physically imposing, but he has every other single gift you could ever want from a wide receiver.
The quarterback question still needs to be resolved, but Samuel still has the ability to catch anything short and then rip off large chunks of yardage thanks to his speed and physicality. Any quarterback would be able to feed his ability to produce as long as they get it to him in space.
Maybe 2020 is just the bad season the team had to have to unite them and keep them hungry for the Super Bowl.
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Samuel just needs one big season to truly break out in the NFL, and 2021 is the place to do it. A fresh start for a talented team with a talented young core that includes him.
And if Samuel truly breaks out in 2021, he can help get the SF 49ers back into the playoffs sooner rather than later.