San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has struggled to replicate the statistical success of his breakout 2021 season. Samuel racked up 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns that year, earning a massive contract extension. His career-high 1,405 receiving yards that season set high expectations, but he has since failed to surpass 900 receiving yards in either of the following two seasons.
This year, Samuel has just 553 receiving yards and two total touchdowns (one receiving, one rushing) through 12 games, making it unlikely he will reach the 900-receiving-yard milestone again. On Monday, Samuel responded to criticism about his performance in a now-deleted social media post, deflecting blame for his lack of production.
"Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!" Samuel wrote.
On Tuesday morning, 49ers general manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR to address the perception of Samuel's struggles.
Lynch acknowledged that the 49ers' unique use of Samuel over the years has been mimicked by other teams, leading to defenses better adapting to defending those types of versatile players.
"I think people are becoming more familiar with it," Lynch said. "Deebo's a really good football player. He's created such a high standard for himself that, I think, frustration mounts. But he's made so many plays for us.
"I think we've got to give this guy some grace and bring him along because we need him the rest of the way. We're going to need him Thursday night."
The 49ers face a quick turnaround following Sunday's victory over the Chicago Bears. They'll host the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium on Thursday night, aiming to even their record at 7-7.
"Deebo's a big part of this team, and we're all right," Lynch continued. "We can all learn from situations, and a lot of different things in the world these days that you can get caught up in, but I think Deebo's in a good place from the way he's working, and we've got a lot of football to be played, and he'll be a big part of our season moving forward."
You can listen to Lynch's entire interview below.