Deebo Samuel was carted off the field Sunday with a reported ankle injury after a designed run play for the wide receiver and one former 49ers star took exception with the play call.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice took to Instagram and called out the team for putting its star wide receiver in the backfield.
“Please stop running our skill player up the middle. Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo now Deebo Samuel all hurt!!” Rice said in the post, tagging the three stars.
Quarterbacks Lance and Garoppolo are both out with injuries. Samuel’s use in the run game was a major storyline in the offseason with the wide receiver reportedly taking issue with being used as a running back.
Samuel reportedly requested a trade in April because of the usage but both sides appeared to work out a resolution. He signed a three-year extension worth $73.5 million with $58.1 million guaranteed in July.
However, he is still being used as a tailback. So far this season, Samuel has caught 50 passes for 569 yards and two touchdowns but has also rushed the ball 37 times in his 11 appearances this season. The severity of the ankle injury is unknown at this time.
