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Much has been said about the San Francisco 49ers' upcoming three-game stretch. It's tough. Real tough. In fact, Nick Wagoner of ESPN
pointed out this week that, during the Super Bowl era, no team had faced three consecutive opponents this late in the season, with each opponent being .800-or-better.
The 49ers' three upcoming opponents are a combined 24-6 at this point in the season, with each team sitting at 8-2. The series kicks off with a game at Levi's Stadium on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers. Then the team will travel for matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.
For San Francisco's coaches and players, though, it's business as usual.
One of those players is rookie wide receiver
Deebo Samuel, who
joined 95.7 The Game on Thursday. He acknowledged that this three-game stretch does indeed feel different from earlier parts of the schedule, and that has become more apparent as the NFL season progressed with these three teams showing no real signs of slowing.
"As we get closer and closer to it, we're kind of getting the feel [that] these are going to be the toughest games, back-to-back, that we're going to have," Samuel told Damon Bruce, Ray Ratto, and Matt Kolsky. "... But we're just going to take it week by week and continue to do the things we've been doing all season."
A lot could be determined on Sunday night. The 49ers currently own the best record in the NFC, and, if the season ended today, would be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. A lot would change with a loss this weekend. Green Bay would jump ahead of the 49ers by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, and San Francisco would fall to the No. 5 seed thanks to a Week 10 loss to Seattle.
We are entering the guts of the NFL season, and these final weeks will determine a lot for the playoff-hopeful squads. That doesn't necessarily mean the 49ers will change anything going forward.
"I don't think that we're changing," Samuel said. "I think Kyle (Shanahan) believes in what he's been doing. It's been working, and we're just going to continue to do the same thing that we're doing. We're not going to change. I mean, we've been locked in all season, as you can see, and we're going to continue to do that."
Samuel suffered a shoulder injury — more specific,
an AC joint injury — this past weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. He exited the game but returned in time for the 49ers' exciting comeback to win. Does he expect to play during Sunday night's pivotal matchup?
"We're going to listen to the doctors and see what the doctors say," Samuel responded.
Samuel did, however, add, "I feel good."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Samuel below.
It's evident that the San Francisco 49ers engaged in long-term financial planning. Much discussion has centered around the feasibility of the team committing significant financial resources to two wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Some skeptics question the wisdom of such heavy investment in a single position, especially considering that the 49ers handed Samuel a substantial three-year extension merely two years ago.
Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
Analyst Steve Palazzolo unveiled a first-round mock draft for Pro Football Focus, attempting to forecast the selections for each NFL team within the top 32 picks. While the San Francisco 49ers concentrated on strengthening the defensive line in free agency, Palazzolo envisions the team continuing to fortify that side of the ball.
In his mock draft, Palazzolo predicts that the 49ers will select former Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa with the No. 31 overall pick.
"Tampa's unique fluidity and size for a cornerback make him worthy of a top-75 pick," reads the analysis from Pro Football Focus' big board. "If he can clean up his footwork, he can
With the NFL Draft just two weeks away, the San Francisco 49ers hosted their annual local pro day at Levi's Stadium. The event showcased 44 players, including four veterans, all vying to impress coaches and team decision-makers and earn a roster spot. The 49ers have 10 selections in the upcoming draft.
NFL local pro days provide draft prospects with ties to the local area an opportunity to showcase their talents to team personnel. These prospects typically hail from nearby colleges or have other connections to the region where the team is based.
Terrell's Son Seeks an Opportunity
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