49ers Deebo Samuel says ‘all-hands on deck’ for regular-season finale

Jan 2, 2024, 11:45 AM | Updated: 12:06 pm

Brandon Aiyuk #11 and Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers react after a first down during t...

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

The San Francisco 49ers rang in the New Year with a win in Washington, and clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC. But don’t expect that to stop Deebo Samuel and other starters from playing in Week 18.

The 49ers wide receiver said on Up & Adams Tuesday that most of the team’s starters will play in some capacity in Week 18. This may come as a bit of a surprise, given San Francisco already clinched the No.1 seed in the conference with the Arizona Cardinals win over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday. However, Samuel is aware of what rust can do by sitting out for an extended period of time, wanting to walk a fine line heading into the postseason.

“You definitely want to keep the flow going, but you also want to give your body a rest. So, I feel like we’ll play this game for a good bit, just to keep the groove going and not take too much time off,” Deebo Samuel said Tuesday. “I feel like we’re gonna be going this week like [normal] and practicing hard and continue to do the things we do. I mean, we just gotta keep building; We haven’t played our best ball yet. So, we just got to continue to get better and better each day.”

The show host was a bit surprised by Samuel’s answer, with Kay Adams asking him if he is going to play. The wideout responded with “yeah, for sure.”

"There's no negotiation … it's all-hands on deck."

Despite the @49ers locking up the no. 1 seed, @19problemz says himself and the starters will play on Sunday.@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/8AknZxcpmL

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 2, 2024

As for how much the 49ers starters will play is a different story. That determination can only be made by Kyle Shanahan and the coaching staff. And while they’ll likely take their foot off the gas at some point, it’s all hands on deck for now.

“It ain’t no negotiation,” Samuel smirked. “Once coach says one thing, it’s all hands on deck.”

The 49ers have not made any decision on playing time at this point, with Shanahan reiterating a lengthy talk with the coaching staff over the next few days.

“No one’s set right now. I’m still discussing that with coaches and stuff and just trying to figure it all out, what’s best for us. I’ll probably discuss it with those players also. Not as many as you would think. It is really a hard thing to do and it’s not always the best thing to do too. So, we’re going to take everything into account,” the 49ers coach explained Monday.

Kyle Shanahan has ruled out a few banged-up players for Week 18 already, with running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) and defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot, knee) at the top of the list.