49ers WR Deebo Samuel speaks on his deleted tweet: 'A little frustrated, for sure'

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy is charged with distributing the ball to the San Francisco 49ers’ still-plentiful array of offensive weapons. On Tuesday, he threw disgruntled wide receiver Deebo Samuel his full support.

“I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could,” Purdy said. “I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things, and we all do in this building.”

Thing is, Samuel’s sub-par production this season has mirrored the 49ers’ rocky road to a 6-7 record entering Thursday night’s visit by the Rams (7-6).

“Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!” Samuel wrote Monday in a since-deleted post on the social media platform X.

The timing of that complaint was peculiar. The 49ers had just shaken a three-game losing streak with a 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears, a game Samuel acknowledged was their best offensive showing and most complementary outing. But the 49ers did so with minimal production again from Samuel, who had two catches for 22 yards and five carries for 13 yards.

“You read what you read. A little frustrated, for sure,” Samuel said Tuesday at his locker before practice.

General manager John Lynch on KNBR asked 49ers fans to give Samuel “some grace,” and coach Kyle Shanahan also threw support behind Samuel’s gripes.

“Deebo and I talk every day so I understand Deebo saying that,” Shanahan said. “Deebo wants to help us out, and the only way he is helping us is getting the ball more. And we’d like to get him the ball more.”

Samuel, a two-time captain, has scored just two touchdowns (Week 1 run, Week 5 reception) after 12 last regular season; he had 14 in 2021. He missed the 49ers’ Week 3 loss in Los Angeles because of a calf injury.

Three years removed from his All-Pro breakout season, Samuel’s production has taken a nosedive this season, even though he is getting the ball. His 72 touches (40 receptions for 533 yards, 32 carries for 92 yards) are second to only now-injured running back Jordan Mason’s 164.

In an X post 10 minutes after complaining about his opportunities, Samuel wrote: “Just cause I voice my opinions don’t mean I’m hating on any of my teammates!!”

Jauan Jennings (57 catches, 774 yards, six touchdowns) and tight end George Kittle (56-800-8) have seized more on their targets from Brock Purdy, while 2022-23 mainstays Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey have missed most of the season injured.

“We’d always love things to stay in-house,” Shanahan said. “It’s probably why I don’t go on social media: I’d get worked up if I was reading stuff all the time. Is it a distraction in our building? No.”

“He’s one of my best friends on this team. I absolutely love Deebo and what he’s done for me,” Purdy said. “He’s right: He’s doing great right now with what we ask of him the offense. He’s not struggling. Like Ricky (Pearsall) or Aiyuk last year a little bit, there are moments through a season where guys just don’t get the ball, depending on defensive schemes and taking guys away.”

Samuel has flourished in the 49ers’ rivalry against the Rams, including three years ago when his “wide back” persona emerged as he scored on both a run and a reception to lead the victorious 49ers out of a 3-5 rut and toward the playoffs.

That dual-threat duty is no longer a secret weapon. “They’re not surprised anymore,” Samuel said. “We’ve been doing it almost three years now, so you’ve got a 50-50 chance whether I’m in the backfield getting a handoff or anything along those lines. They have a glimpse of what’s going on. … There’s three or four (defenders awaiting) no matter who has the ball.”

Kittle said while he doesn’t care to vent on social media, Samuel’s willingness doesn’t make the locker room think differently of him. “To me, Deebo’s very close to just breaking it wide open so I’m very excited for him because I think he’s going to have one of those amazing Deebo Thursday night games, especially against the Rams,” he said.

Some of Samuel’s most productive efforts this season have come as a kick returner (11 returns for 333 yards, including six returns in their Dec. 1 loss at Buffalo).

“We’ve got a lot of big football to play and he’ll be a big part of our season moving forward,” Lynch said.

As for next season, Samuel carries a $16 million mark on the salary cap. The 49ers restructured his contract in March, so he would incur a $31.6 million hit if he’s released or traded before June 1; after that date, an exit would count $11 million in 2025 and $21 million in ’26.

Guerendo idling

Running back Isaac Guerendo’s foot sprain Sunday kept him out of Tuesday’s light walkthrough and it’s uncertain whether he’ll make a second straight start. Guerendo ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, and he had 50 yards on two catches before exiting. Guerendo was clocked at 20.2 mph on a 30-yard, second-quarter carry that was the NFL’s fastest by a running back in Week 14.

Greenlaw update

The 49ers remain reluctant to declare whether linebacker Dre Greenlaw will make his season debut Thursday night, the date pegged for his comeback from an Achilles tear in the Super Bowl. Shanahan said there has been no setback, that he merely wants to talk first to Greenlaw and see how the next two days go. Greenlaw appeared to break down the 49ers’ pre-practice huddle inside Levi’s Stadium some 48 hours before his potential comeback.

Other injury updates

Defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique, hip) and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) will officially miss the fourth week of practice by missing Tuesday’s walkthrough. Shanahan has not indicated whether they’ll miss a fourth straight game.

While left guard Aaron Banks practiced for the first time since a Nov. 24 concussion in Green Bay, guard Ben Bartch (ankle) did not practice and is expected to go on injured reserve.

Limited were defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, safety Malik Mustapha, and linebackers Dee Winters and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.

Hargrave moment

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave’s bloated contract was restructured to lessen the 49ers’ financial restraints next year. While that could stage his potential release after two seasons, as pointed out by OverTheCap.com, Hargrave is also more affordable to keep after his 2025 salary was chopped from $19.9 million to $2.1 million, and his salary cap mark fell from $28 million to $10.3 million.

“The plan for him is to be a Niner,” Shanahan said, deferring business matters to the front office staff.

Hargrave, 31, has been on injured reserve since tearing a biceps in the Sept. 22 loss at Los Angeles. He made the Pro Bowl last season and totaled seven sacks in his first year with the 49ers.

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