Did Deebo Samuel Have a Successful Bounce Back Season?

Deebo Samuel made a vow in the offseason that he wouldn't repeat an "awful" season he had in 2022. Did his vow hold up true after the 2023 season?

2022 was a very underwhelming season for Deebo Samuel.

He had carried the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 in what is best described as a "unicorn" performance from him. Without his majestical performances, the 49ers would not have made the playoffs that season. However, he failed to come close to even half of what he was from 2021 the following season.

"It was awful -- in every aspect," said Samuel on his 2022 season. "Me and Kyle had a long meeting the other day. We watched tape, we talked about it, we put it behind us and just going through the tape and just look how sluggish and how bad it looked on tape. Like I said, just reflecting on last offseason it kind of played a big role in that. I'll never put nothing like that back on tape again."

Credit is due to Samuel for acknowledging his underwhelming 2022 season. He made a vow to have a bounce back season in 2023. For the 49ers to reach their peak offensively, they needed Samuel to be better than he was in the year prior. So, did Samuel end up having a successful bounce back season?

I believe he did. Samuel in 2022 was no better than a decoy for the 49ers. He wasn't doing much damage with the ball in his hands like he did in 2021. However, This past season he acted as both an effective decoy and impact player with the ball in his hands. He even had a stretch in 2023 where he looked like his 2021 version, especially against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, Samuel's stats didn't drastically improve this year from last. He tallied 60 catches to his 56 in 2022, 892 receiving yards to his 632, and 225 rushing yards to his 232. But the eye test for Samuel showed an improved player. He looked more engaged and did more damage against defenses. He was able to become a true factor for the 49ers again, especially as a scorer. He put up 12 touchdowns this year as opposed to 5 last year.

Considering he had to share touches in an offense that had the Offensive Player of the Year in Christian McCaffrey, and two All-Pro players in Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, I'd say he had himself a mighty fine year. Samuel can look back on his season and know that he lived up to his vow he made in the offseason.