49ers’ George Kittle continues defending Deebo Samuel amid criticism

Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, now with the Washington Commanders, has faced scrutiny from fans after a practice video surfaced in which the receiver appeared sluggish and out of shape. One of his biggest supporters, tight end George Kittle, was quick to defend his former teammate.

"It's called group install, when players jog thru plays," Kittle posted last week on social media.

He added, "Knock it off."

Kittle further addressed the situation this week during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast. When asked about the viral video and his earlier comments, the 49ers star reiterated his defense of Samuel.

"I'm just going to say this: Deebo Samuel plays football. He doesn't play spring ball, no-pads football," Kittle said. "And if you look at his career highlights, when he has shoulder pads on, that's how he plays the game, which is the way it is structured for us to play the game."

Kittle criticized the media and social media frenzy, stating that the reaction to the video was blown out of proportion, and there is a sense of desperation to create a story when one doesn't exist.

"I will say media for the NFL from post-draft until the season starts, everyone's just looking for something to talk about because there's nothing to talk about, and so, it's pretty brutal," Kittle continued. "And Deebo just catches flak because, hey, he didn't have his best season of his career last year, and people gave him flak for that."

Samuel broke out in 2021, racking up 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns, including a career-high 1,405 receiving yards. It was Samuel's only season surpassing 900 receiving yards, and he has failed to surpass 700 receiving yards in two of the three seasons since.

Despite that, Kittle remains confident that the 29-year-old still has plenty left to offer.

"Deebo is still Deebo," Kittle insisted. "He's going to go out there, he's going to truck some people, he's going to make some insane plays that no one else can make. He's going to catch a screen pass, break four tackles, and go 60 yards to the house. So Deebo's gonna Deebo. That's just what it is.

"And so, these people that are just talking s--t about him, they can all F right off."

Regarding concerns that Samuel may be overweight heading into the 2025 season, Kittle playfully responded, "Deebo has got big bones. He's got big bones. That's all it is. He might have hibernated in the offseason, but he'll be ready to go for training camp, I promise you that much."