1 week later, Deebo Samuel pulls a George Kittle

The difference is George Kittle answered a question that he was asked by the media, while Deebo Samuel took his unhappiness to social media.

During the postgame media conference after the San Francisco 49ers’ loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, George Kittle was asked to explain why he was not targeted more after receiving a reception on the first play.

He shrugged, saying, “I think I ran six more routes the rest of the day. It could be a combination of that. But nope, no idea.”

The follow-up question was about whether Kittle felt like he was covered. He responded, “Oh goodness gracious, no. I felt pretty open multiple times. It is what it is.”

Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy took notice, as Kittle was targeted six times in Week 14. Kittle finished with 151 receiving yards on the afternoon.

Deebo Samuel had five targets against the Bills in Week 13. That number dipped to three against Chicago. Deebo had two receptions for 22 yards, but 20 of those came on one catch. To his credit, Samuel came back to the ball on that pass and made a play on the ball.

On Monday, Deebo took to Twitter, saying that his lack of separation isn’t an issue. Samuel is under the impression that he’s simply not getting the ball enough:

This comes 24 hours after his team scored 38 points, had 452 yards, and moved the ball effortlessly up and down the field.

Is Deebo pulling a Kittle one week later? Kittle was asked a question and answered it. There’s also evidence of him only doing positive things when the ball is in his hands. We have recent history that suggests the 49ers made the right decision to lean on Kittle and Jauan Jennings in the passing game.

But Thursday night is against the Los Angeles Rams, and that’s a team Samuel has historically performed well against. He missed Week 3’s matchup with an injury. But in nine games versus the Rams, Samuel has 47 receptions for 639 yards, which is good for more than 13 and a half yards per reception.

The 49ers are 8-1 in the games Samuel plays against the Rams, and he has scored seven touchdowns in those games. So, when it comes to prioritizing who gets the ball come Thursday, maybe Deebo has a point?