Deebo Samuel is determined to prove to the 49ers’ coaching staff that he’s already in peak physical condition ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Tuesday that the star wide receiver has been holding himself accountable, utilizing a rather bizarre method to ensure his coaches knew that he was grinding and putting in work during the offseason. Apparently, Samuel has been sending his head coach a multitude of shirtless pictures in order to display his improved physique.
“Never had a grown man send me so many pictures of himself with his shirt off, but he looked good,” Shanahan said of Samuel, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
While talking to reporters back at 49ers’ minicamp, Samuel admitted he was critical of his play last season, describing his performance as being “awful.”
In 2022, the 27-year-old was vying for a new contract, and even requested a trade from the organization, which he claims were “distractions” and set him back in terms of his preparation and conditioning.
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“Just going through the tape, it was, ‘Look how sluggish and, like, how bad you look on tape,’” said Samuel after the season. “I’ll never put nothing on tape like that again.”
After earning both Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods during the 2021 campaign, in which he scored 14 total touchdowns, Samuel struggled to replicate that same level of production in ’22. He featured in 13 games for the Niners, registering 632 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, and three rushing touchdowns.
With training camp getting underway for the 49ers, Samuel is more determined than ever to make up for his lackluster season, and his text message exchange with his head coach is a rather bizarre example of his determination to bounce back.
