Jerry Rice has some advice for 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel: If you’re going to demand the ball, you better catch it.
Rice said on 95.7 The Game that Samuel was wrong to say he was frustrated about not getting the ball, and then fail to catch the ball when it was thrown to him on a crucial play in Thursday night’s loss to the Rams.
“I would’ve been pissed at myself, I would’ve been pissed at the whole scenario, and I would go to work, go to work on the football field, during practice, and if you do it during practice you’re going to be able to do it during the game,” Rice said. “That ball that he dropped? After you complain about not getting that many touches, you cannot drop the football because everybody is going to get down on you, and they’re going to come after you. I never said anything about not getting touches or anything like that, I just worked. I just kept working. And if you show it during practice they’re going to make the call during the actual football game, you’re going to have opportunities to make catches.”
Samuel has become a total non-factor for the 49ers in recent weeks, catching just 14 passes for 101 yards over the last five games. Rice thinks the solution for Samuel is to complain less and work more.
