Former 49ers tight end slams Deebo Samuel after shoddy effort vs. Packers
By Peter Panacy
Brent Jones tore into Deebo Samuel after the wide receiver delivered an awful performance against the Packers in Week 12.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel made plenty of headlines when he confronted kicker Jake Moody and long-snapper Taybor Pepper in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Moody missed his third field-goal try of the game.
The sideline altercation might have been viewed as necessary. After all, Samuel is a team captain and bears some responsibility for motivating his teammates.
However, in the wake of the Niners' disastrous effort against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12, some feel Samuel deserves a confrontation of his own.
Including a legendary San Francisco tight end, Brent Jones.
Brent Jones sounds off on unimpressive Deebo Samuel after Week 12
Speaking on KNBR 680's Murph & Markus Show the Monday morning after the loss in Green Bay, Jones didn't hold back from going after Samuel.
"It's a standard that he just hasn't played to this year," Jones said. "If you're going to be the guy getting in the kicker and the snapper's face, then you better be locked in as well. I just feel like he hasn't been playing to the standard the 49ers expect all year."
Indeed, Samuel's performance against the Packers was one to forget. Not only did he have just one catch for 21 yards on four targets, but the 2021 All-Pro also suffered two drops, including one that slipped through his hands and right into the waiting arms of Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney for an interception.
Samuel's performance was so bad, he reportedly refused to speak to the media after the game.
Over the last two games, Samuel's numbers have been anything but impressive. He's had three catches for a combined 43 yards, and his abilities as a dual-threat rusher have waned, too.
So far this season, the "wide back" has just 79 rush yards and is averaging a lowly 2.9 yards per carry.
True, Samuel isn't the entirety of the Niners' problems in 2024, but he's quickly becoming one of the faces of the combined issues.
As Jones said, it might be Samuel's turn to "lock in" if San Francisco has any chance of resurgence toward a playoff berth down the final stretch.