John Lynch believes Deebo Samuel is a critical part of the 49ers' offense, even if his on-field performance has been lackluster this season.
San Francisco's general manager explained that Samuel is a victim of his own success as other teams have caught on to his versatile skillset.
“Deebo has created such a high standard, the things he’s done, the innovation we’ve created [with him],” Lynch told KNBR’s “Murph & Markus.” “That’s part of the issue. We created so many unique things for Deebo that now if you watch Green Bay [Packers receiver] Jayden Reed does a lot of those things. DJ Moore for the [Chicago] Bears does a lot of the Deebo packages.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“So I think people are becoming more familiar with it. Deebo is a really good football player. He’s created such a high standard for himself that I think frustration mounts. But he’s made so many plays for us I think we’ve got to give this guy some grace and bring him along because we need him the rest of the way. Deebo is a big part of this team, and we can all learn from these situations.”
Samuel can take snaps from the backfield and run blistering routes as a receiver, and his versatility had unlocked another dimension to San Francisco's offense, until this year.
The 28-year-old has struggled to make the explosive plays that were once his calling card, with only two touchdowns and 645 yards from scrimmage this season, the worst start through 12 games in his career.
Not all the blame falls on Samuel’s shoulders as San Francisco has struggled with inconsistent play and injuries all season. With Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey out for the season, the 49ers' offense does not have the same big-play capacity as last season.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The 49ers have an outside shot at making the playoffs but will need to be perfect for the remainder of the season to have a chance. With a big showdown with the Los Angeles Rams looming on “Thursday Night Football,” Samuel and the rest of the San Francisco offense will need to step up.