Deebo changing from 49ers jersey No. 19 for next season

The 49ers have turned the page on the 2023 NFL season, and so is Deebo Samuel, who will have a new jersey number when the 2024 campaign kicks off. The All-Pro wide receiver posted on Instagram on Tuesday that he will wear No. 1 beginning next season after five years as No. 19. The name on the back of his jersey also will be updated to "Samuel Sr." Tyshun Samuel Jr. was born in Dec. 2021. The number change is a reboot for Samuel, who wore No. 1 at South Carolina, and at the Senior Bowl when he first met Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers' coaching staff. When Samuel was drafted by the 49ers in 2019, single-digit numbers were not available to non-quarterbacks. Two seasons later, the NFL changed the policy opening up the possibility to wide receivers and defensive backs. In 2021, Jimmie Ward claimed No. 1 because he had several seasons of experience over Samuel, wearing it until he left in free agency after the 2022 season. The safety, who now is with the Houston Texans, still wears the number with his new team, leaving it open for Samuel to claim. No one wore No. 1 for the 49ers during the 2023 season. Samuel played 15 games this past season, catching 60 of his 89 targets for 892 yards and...