Samuel seems primed for big resurgence
Deebo Samuel has pledged to atone for what he’s termed an “awful” 2022 season. The initial returns? Samuel is serious.
The San Francisco 49ers’ All-Pro wide receiver made an immediate statement in his one-series preseason debut Saturday in a 2120 win over the Broncos at Levi’s Stadium.
The game’s first offensive snap: A catch-and-run, 25-yard reception by Samuel that ended with a violent collision. The third snap: A catch-and-run, 14-yard grab by Samuel that ended violently.
Several teammates have waved off Samuel’s self-critique as too harsh after he had 864 total yards and five touchdowns last season. However, quarterback Brock Purdy struck a different note.
“I think Deebo has taken last year’s film and he’s been real with himself,” Purdy said. “And you’ve seen a different mindset with him all throughout camp. Every single rep, even if he’s not getting the ball, he’s running extremely hard and doing his part for the team.
“So today I feel like you saw a little glimpse of how he’s going to do his job. When he’s gets the ball, he’s going to be Deebo. But even if he doesn’t, he’s still going to where he needs to be. And he’ll be there for the team and sort of set the standard. Deebo’s done a great job of that. And I’m really excited about what he’s going to do.”
Rookie rebounds: Rookie tight end Cameron Latu, who has struggled with drops throughout training camp and lost a fumble in the preseason opener, had three catches for 46 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
“I was really happy for him,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Sometimes when that starts in practice, it’s tough to get out of it. A lot of eyes are on him and he’s had a few (drops). And it’s kind of steamrolled on him. It usually makes it hard to go into games like he did today.”
However, Latu, a third-round pick, began by making a difficult, 8-yard snag of a pass from Sam Darnold in the third quarter that gave him confidence. “It definitely did,” Latu said. “Knowing that I could do it, it was easy to transition to the next. And the next.”
Injury report: Wide receiver Danny Gray, who had more injuries than catches as a rookie last year, suffered a joint sprain in his right shoulder that’s expected to prevent him from playing at the start of the regular season. The 49ers initially feared Gray suffered a broken collarbone, which would sideline him for about eight weeks, after he was injured while returning the game-opening kickoff 23 yards.
“It’s still not great news,” Shanahan said. “But it is better than break.”
Gray was making his exhibition debut after he missed last week’s preseason opener in Las Vegas with hip tightness. Last year, Gray, a third-round pick, had one catch and played 87 offensive snaps. Despite his limited playing time, he appeared on the injury report with hamstring, hip and ankle issues after missing time with a hamstring injury shortly after he was drafted.
In other injury news, defensive lineman Kerry Hyder exited with a shoulder stinger. Running back Jeremy McNichols, a longshot to make the 53-man roster, left with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for multiple weeks.