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San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel was brutally honest when evaluating his performance last season.
“It was awful. Every aspect,” Samuel told reporters Tuesday.
The 27-year-old was limited to 13 games last season due to hamstring and ankle injuries, and his production fell off a cliff. Samuel recorded only 56 catches for 632 yards and two touchdowns while adding 232 rushing yards and three more scores on 42 carries.
In 2021, Samuel earned first-team All-Pro honors after posting 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns plus 59 carries for 365 yards and eight scores. He was rewarded with a three-year contract extension worth up to $73.5 million with $58.1 million guaranteed prior to last season.
Samuel added that he recently watched film from the 2022 campaign with head coach Kyle Shanahan and felt he looked “sluggish.”
It sounds like the former Pro Bowler is motivated to bounce back from his disappointing showing last year to help San Francisco make another deep playoff run this season.
