Deebo Samuel is known throughout the NFL for his versatile ability to run and catch the ball. The 49ers wide receiver even coined his own apt nickname, “Wide Back.”
And this Sunday, in San Francisco's regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, Samuel has a chance to do something that only one other dual-threat wideout has ever done if he can just run for a few yards.
Samuel, currently in his fifth professional season, has accumulated 4,101 receiving yards and 996 rushing yards since the 49ers selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. With four more rushing yards in Week 18 against the Rams at Levi's Stadium, Samuel would join Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor (Washington, 1964-1968) as the only player to ever reach 4,000 receiving yards in his first five yards 1,000 rushing yards reached seasons.
The star wide receiver's ability to run the ball has been evident since his freshman season. When the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LIV in Samuel's rookie year, his 53 rushing yards against the Kansas City Chiefs were, and remain, the most by a receiver in Super Bowl history.
Samuel's All-Pro campaign in 2021 was when coach Kyle Shanahan began to really utilize his rushing abilities, using the receiver as a running back on about 11 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Samuel set the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a wideout that season, and his contract extension with the 49ers the following summer even included rushing incentives.
In the finale of the 2023 NFL regular season, Samuel will have another chance to make his name in the NFL record books thanks to his versatility. And although the 49ers have already secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, including home-field advantage in the postseason and a first-round bye, the Faithful can expect to see Samuel on the field on Sunday – with a chance in the Story.
“I have a feeling we will play [in Week 18] For a good time, keep the rhythm going and don’t take too much time,” says Samuel Kay Adams said during Tuesday's episode of the “Up & Adams” show. “…It's not a negotiation. As soon as Coach says something, it’s all hands on deck.”
This season, Samuel still has 871 receiving yards to go, including 214 rushing yards on 36 carries. And as San Francisco looks for the franchise's sixth Super Bowl victory in the coming weeks, they will certainly rely heavily on Samuel's duality.
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