In 2021, he led the San Francisco 49ers in what can only be called a “unicorn” performance.
That season, the 49ers would not have advanced to the playoffs without his magnificent exploits. But the next season, he was not even close to half of what he was in 2021.
“It was terrible—in every way,” Samuel remarked of his 2022 campaign.
“The other day, Kyle and I had a lengthy meeting. We viewed tape, we discussed it, and we moved on. Now, we’re just going over the footage and observing how sluggish and horrible it appeared on tape.
As I mentioned earlier, thinking back on the previous offseason, it was somewhat responsible for it. I promise never to record something similar on tape ever again.”
Samuel deserves praise for admitting that his 2022 season wasn’t very impressive.
He promised himself that 2023 would be his season of comeback. Samuel had to improve on last year’s performance if the 49ers were to have their best offensive season. Did Samuel ultimately have a fruitful season of comeback?
I think he did. In 2022, Samuel was nothing more than a 49ers ruse. Compared to 2021, he wasn’t causing as much harm with the ball in his hands.
But with the ball in his hands this past season, he was a useful impact player as well as a decoy. In fact, there was a period in 2023 when he resembled the player from 2021, particularly when facing the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, Samuel’s numbers for this season did not significantly surpass those for last. In 2022, he recorded 225 rushing yards to his 232, 60 catches to his 56, and 892 receiving yards to his 632. However, Samuel’s eye test revealed a better player.
He appeared more focused and dealt more damage to defenders. Once more, he was able to contribute significantly to the 49ers, particularly as a scorer. This year, he scored 12 touchdowns, compared to just 5 the previous year.
I’d say he had a really good year for himself, especially considering he had to split touches in an offense that had two All-Pro players in Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, as well as the Offensive Player of the Year in Christian McCaffrey. Samuel may reflect on his season with the knowledge that he kept the promise he made during the offseason.
