When Deebo Samuel reported to training camp, the media noticed something different about the San Francisco 49ers' star wide receiver. Samuel looked sleeker.
"I'd say this is probably the best shape that I've been in since I since the 2019 year," Samuel said. "You know, you got that long time of working out, a long time of preparation. I took them 40 days away and really got to it, and got to where I wanted to be."
Samuel feels faster, lighter on his feet, and finds it easier to change directions on routes. The improvement didn't surprise head coach Kyle Shanahan, who joked about how his receiver kept him updated on his offseason transformation.
"Never had a grown man send me so many pictures with his shirt off, but it looks good, and I can tell he's put the work in," Shanahan told reporters.
Earlier this offseason, Samuel critically analyzed last season's production—or lack thereof. The receiver was coming off a breakout 2021 campaign where he racked up 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. Samuel didn't achieve half that production in 2022. He called his efforts "awful," and vowed never to put anything like that on film again.
Shanahan thought Samuel was a bit too critical of last season's production but did work with the receiver this offseason to point out potential areas of improvement.
"We have a real high standard for Deebo," general manager John Lynch told reporters on Monday. "Kyle, he has a high standard for everyone. Being a receiver himself, a former receiver, a guy who cut his teeth coaching receivers, I think he probably has the highest standard for that room. He's tough on those guys.
"And he felt like he was real with Deebo, and I applaud Deebo for not fighting that. It would be really easy to talk about his Madden rating or how popular of a player [he is] (referring to his NFL Top 100 ranking). Instead, he took a hard look at it and said, 'You know what? He's right.'
"He got himself in tremendous shape. You see it out there. And it's not just an aesthetic thing where he's sending nice pictures. The most important thing, it's translating on the field, and it's going to allow him to have success not only this year but long term. The guys that work and outwork their competition, they tend to succeed. Talent can only go so far.
"Deebo's a unique player, plays with a unique will and spirit. [I'm] really proud of him, the work he put in, and it's going to pay dividends for him and for our team."