San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel stopped by KNBR's Papa and Lund show at Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LVI. He's been on a bit of a media tour this week, which means he said a lot of things we've already covered. So I opted to pull some select quotes from the interview on topics that might be of interest to fans.
Samuel was asked about his former offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a team the 49ers will host at Levi's Stadium in 2022.
Deebo: "I could write a book about Mike. He's just a great guy. He was one of the guys that I went to a lot. Every Monday and Tuesday after a game, it's him and Kyle (Shanahan) that I go and talk to and just talk about the game plan, and then just talk about life. It's not all about ball. But Miami is getting a great guy."
Samuel showed off his versatility in 2021, racking up 1,770 regular-season all-purpose yards. Including the playoffs, he rushed for 502 yards and had nine rushing touchdowns. Earlier in the season, when asked how he would label his position, he said "wide back"—a combination of a wide receiver and running back.
The idea of utilizing Samuel as a running back came before the Week 10 matchup against the Los Angles Rams when he had five carries for 36 yards. The next game, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had eight carries for 79 yards.
How did the 49ers present the plan to use Samuel as a running back in games? There wasn't a whole lot to it, it seems.
Deebo: "They just came to me and said, 'Hey, we're just going to give you a couple of handoffs this week.' That's just how it came about."
Samuel's role won't change in 2022. He will likely continue to be the 49ers' Swiss Army knife on offense.
Deebo: "I talked to Kyle after the season was over, and he told me the role will still be the same."
Does it matter to Samuel how the 49ers utilize him in games?
Deebo: "It really don't matter to me. I'm a team-first player, so whatever Kyle asks me to do, I'ma do it."
It sounds like Samuel isn't letting the pain of coming so close to a Super Bowl return and falling just short linger. He was asked if you ever get over a loss like the one suffered in the NFC Championship Game.
Deebo: "You've got to get over it. You've got to use it as fuel and get ready for next year."
After three years in the NFL, Samuel is finally eligible for a contract extension. However, he's letting the 49ers and his representatives handle that.
Deebo: "I just let the chips fall where they're going to fall."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Samuel below.