Deebo Samuel, 49ers treating Eagles clash as just ‘another game on the schedule’

Nov 28, 2023, 11:30 AM | Updated: 11:37 am

Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco runs up field during an NFC Championship game against the Phi...

Perry Knotts/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

Week 13 in the NFL promises to be a pivotal showdown for both the 49ers and Eagles in terms of NFC Supremacy. But to some of the 49ers players, it’s just another game on the slate.

San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk reiterated such when they were asked about the contest Monday. While both men understand the stakes and previous bad blood between the two teams, they aren’t focusing on that, instead downplaying the ramifications entirely.

“It’s not about revenge. It’s another game on the schedule. We’re going to treat it like any other game,” Deebo Samuel told the media Monday.

The wideout is referring to the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game last season. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy infamously suffered a torn UCL in the first quarter of the contest, leaving the rest of the team without their signal-caller.

The loss left many in San Francisco with a bad taste in their mouths, including Samuel. He would later go on to call Eagles cornerback James Bradberry “trash” in an interview. And when asked about those comments, he didn’t mince words.

“I don’t regret nothing I said,” Samuel added.

Deebo Samuel on calling James Bradberry trash in the offseason:

“I don't regret nothing I said”pic.twitter.com/ghwzzglubB

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) November 27, 2023

Despite the hostility, the 49ers are treating the rematch as just another game on the schedule. Of course, San Francisco can cut Philadelphia’s lead in the NFC by one with a win on Sunday, which is what they are most looking forward to in the matchup.

“I think we are just ready to play, ready for a new week, first game of December,” Aiyuk stated Monday. “We definitely know what happened last season, a lot of words going back and forth but despite that we have another opportunity, they have another opportunity, to play football. I think both sides are excited for that.”

Eagles players have also been outspoken about the rematch this week, especially outside linebacker Haason Reddick.

But just like Aiyuk, Reddick is more focused on the game at hand, looking forward to playing the 49ers at full strength.

“Talk is cheap. They get to come back to [Lincoln Financial Field]. It was a lot of boo hoos last year, a lot of crying, a lot of what if, a lot of this, a lot of that. They get a chance to come back in here, line that s**t up and prove it again,” Reddick said in a recent interview.

Some trash talk has leaked out with the game on the horizon. Eagles WR A.J. Brown took to Twitter to call upon fans to heckle the 49ers and Samuel this week. But it’s all in good nature, with both men enjoying the friendly banter ahead of a must-win game for both teams.

#49ers Deebo Samuel response to #Eagles Haason Reddick’s comments:

“Hey man, we’ll catch you on Sunday” pic.twitter.com/iJlt6aSdHe

— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) November 28, 2023