Talking to the media was the last thing on Deebo Samuel Sr.’s mind after the San Francisco 49ers’ embarrassing 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Without Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa, the 49ers were outclassed in every facet of the game by Jordan Love and Co. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t want to lean on those absences — among others — as an excuse, but that didn’t mean Samuel was eager to explain the team’s worst offensive showing of the season.
As a team captain, Samuel is typically one of the players who steps up in front of cameras to address what went wrong in a scrum of reporters. Even amidst a 28-point loss on the road, fans often look for players to bridge the gap in the media, taking responsibility for their poor showing and vowing to be better.
Sometimes, those post-game comments are little more than empty clichés, but it’s what fans expect from a team leader like Samuel. Now sitting in fourth place in the NFC West, Samuel had an opportunity to provide some perspective, perhaps even a lifeline for fans to keep faith in the defending NFC Champions.
But in opting not to rehash what took place the three hours prior at Lambeau Field, Samuel was in no mood to soothe
frustrations, point fingers or do anything that involved him answering questions from the local media.
When approached by reporters following the 28-point drubbing, Samuel chose silence over elaboration, a violation of the NFL’s media policy, which states that “players must be available to the media after every game.”
#49ers WR Deebo Samuel declined to speak with the media after the game.
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) November 25, 2024
On a night when the offense stalled, the defense faltered and the absences of key players only magnified the team’s struggles, Samuel hauled in one of four targets for a 21-yard reception and didn’t attempt a single rush.
Words likely wouldn’t have captured Samuel’s full disappointment.
So, he left the talking to his teammates and subjected himself to a fine instead.
