Getty San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel said people are envious of, and even hate, his success this season.
Not everyone is enjoying San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel’s monster season, apparently.
Samuel, Week 8’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week, is second in the league with 819 receiving yards, behind only Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams, and has 44 receptions and four touchdowns after seven games. But the outstanding output has brought Samuel negative attention, too, according to the wide receiver.
How much of it, and in what form, Samuel didn’t say, but he did tweet his response that he wasn’t happy about it.
Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.
“Success makes so many people hate you,” Samuel tweeted on Saturday, November 6. “I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.”
ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!
Samuel’s Health Status Still Unknown Against Cardinals
Samuel was held out of practice on Wednesday, November 3, and Thursday, November 4, due to a calf injury he aggravated in Week 8’s 33-22 win against the Chicago Bears.
On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Samuel was considered questionable for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel was able to participate in Friday’s “half-speed” drills, Shanahan said, but had it been a day of full-speed preparation, Samuel likely would have missed that as well.
“Deebo is a guy that if it’s possible for him to play, he will,” Shanahan said. “That’s why you got to communicate with him a lot and understand his personality, what he wants. And he also understands what it means if he does play and you can’t last through it or has to go out after two series or something, so I’m glad we got two more days to decide that though.”
The Cardinals have health issues of their own. The status of QB Kyler Murray, who missed all week of practice with an ankle sprain, is still unknown. The Cards beat the 49ers 17-10 in Week 5, holding Samuel to 3 receptions for 58 yards, although rookie QB Trey Lance was filling in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo at the time and threw for under 200 yards.
Samuel Accounts for an NFL-High Percentage of Niners’ Offense
GettyDeebo Samuel is 181 yards away from the 1,000-yard mark.
But what are the people envious of? Recognition?
Samuel didn’t say, only that he could see the envy in the way they looked at him. Perhaps some people are jealous of the amount of attention he’s getting, whether through accolades starting to pour in or the number of balls coming his way.
As Monterey Herald Reporter Cam Inman pointed out in an article on Wednesday, November 3, Samuel represents an NFL-high 46 percent of the 49ers’ receiving yards, and 31.8 percent of their offensive yards. Lots of football players might covet such focus. Less than halfway through the season, Samuel is already 181 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark. Also, he’s far and away the team’s leading receiver in targets with 71. The next highest is TE George Kittle, who has missed the last three games but is expected to go Sunday, with 29, per Fantasysp.com. Bradon Aiyuk is third with 23 balls thrown his way.
READ NEXT: Late-Round Pick Showing Signs of Becoming Next Niners’ Star