Getty Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers runs into the endzone for a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the game against the Houston Texans at Levi's Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Santa Clara, California.
Deebo Samuel doesn’t mind a confrontation, and the San Francisco 49ers star made that clear in one of his latest social media messages.
Deebo is coming off a blockbuster third year in the NFL, becoming the 49ers’ No. 1 offensive weapon in the 2021 season. Samuel earned 1405 receiving yards along with 365 rushing yards, adding 14 total touchdowns to boot as he excelled in a “wide back” role.
This means he’s due for a big payday, and his potential contract extension is a major talking point of the 2022 offseason. Anyone that follows the 26-year-old receiver on social media knows that he’s been sharing photos from his time off. Most have captions that aren’t direct or clear, which prompted Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn to look into Samuel’s “cryptic Instagram comments.”
However, it didn’t take long for Deebo to shut down Cohn’s video. The 2021 All-Pro responded directly to the video but Tweeted at the San Francisco reporter separately.
“@grantcohn bruh you are hilarious,” Samuel wrote. “Everything I post is not pertaining the Niners stop making narratives just for views.”
@grantcohn bruh you are hilarious everything I post is not pertaining the Niners stop making narratives just for views 😂😂
While it seems like Samuel isn’t taking the 49ers insider’s comments too seriously, that’s not the case for some San Francisco fans.
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49ers Fans Respond to Samuel
The response from Samuel seemed to divide fans of the Niners, with many taking the receiver’s side but others saying that Cohn may be onto something. @librool thinks that Samuel’s response is evidence that there’s substance to the reporter’s video.
“The fact that Deebo responded, proves Grant is onto something,” the fan Tweeted. “He has massive influence with the fans. If it was nothing, deebo wouldn’t say anything. Like when [49ers offensive lineman Mike] McGlinchy blocked Grant when Grant was exposing how bad he is. He’s saying deebo wants to get paid.”
There was also disagreements over the intentions of the video and the intentions of Deebo’s response, like with @GoldBlooded and @ashleyaireonna.
Meanwhile, those who think Cohn’s video lacks any real substance are joining in the conversation with memes and reactions. @TheSFNiners had an image ready for the moment.
@19problemz @grantcohn Deebo said 😂
@SacKing_64 walks the line between the two sides, trying to look at the situation from an objective point of view while reminding Deebo he’s loved by the 49ers fanbase.
“Deebo don’t take it personal bro,” the fan wrote. “It’s his job to do shit like that. No clicks no career. I know it prolly pisses you off but he gotta get his bag too right?? Jus sayin. On another note you know the fans love you and hope you are a niner for life big dawg.”
49ers ‘Budgeting’ for Samuel
While there’s some buzz due to Cohn’s video and Samuel’s reaction, 49ers fans can at least hold onto the fact that general manager John Lynch has said they plan on paying Samuel.
In the season wrap-up press conference on February 1, Lynch responded to a question asking about contracts for Samuel and star defensive end Nick Bosa.
“We fully understand these guys are pillars of what we’re trying to do here,” Lynch said. “We’ve been blessed that we’ve been aggressive, because we’ve had a lot of players that we believe are some of the best in the league at what they do. And these guys are no different… I’m sure that we’ll find a way to get that done. It’s been budgeted for.”
While those are just words, it’s the only official comments that fans have to go on. Until there’s a sure conclusion, Lynch’s comments should be the primary thing to pay attention to.