How the Loss of Deebo Samuel will Impact 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

The absence of Deebo Samuel this year should help the 49ers in general, but it may not help Christian McCaffrey in particular.

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) celebrates his touchdown with running back Christian McCaffrey (23) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The absence of Deebo Samuel this year should help the 49ers in general, but it may not help Christian McCaffrey in particular.

Samuel had become a drag on the entire organization. He complained about not getting the ball enough even after wins despite playing poorly. Plus, he got into a fight with a long-snapper, which almost is like getting in a fight with the mascot. Who does that? It's a Happy Gilmore move.

So Samuel had to go -- that's why the 49ers traded him to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick. Now, the 49ers can give his targets to wide receivers who are better than him, wide receivers such as Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing.

Samuel was a key member of the 49ers' 2023 team that went to the Super Bowl, but he struggled during that loss and never recovered.

Still, defenses had to respect him, and so he drew a ton of attention, even last season. Now, all eyes will be on Christian McCaffrey every play.

McCaffrey has been an excellent player since he entered the NFL, but his most efficient season by far was 2023 when he played alongside Samuel. That's because opposing defenses had to spend as much time preparing for Samuel as they did for McCaffrey. Both were unique players who could win games almost single-handedly. They made each other better.

Now, teams won't have to worry about Samuel running end arounds or catching screens. Instead, they can focus all their attention on McCaffrey in backfield.

Perhaps this shift will help the offense, but it won't help McCaffrey.