Deebo Samuel made no effort Thursday night to convince anyone he hasn't struggled this year.
The 49ers wide receiver had three catches in San Francisco's 12-6 loss to the Rams, but suffered an ugly drop midway through the third quarter with the game still tied.
The crucial drop-off occurred when the 49ers were deep in the Rams' third base and 10, just when San Francisco seemed to have a chance to at least get a first down.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy stepped back and found Samuel for what would have been a great score.
Samuel appeared to have the ball, but somehow dropped it, much to the surprise of almost everyone, including himself.
A dropped pass gave the 49ers a field goal, but the lead didn't last long as Los Angeles fought back by scoring on the ensuing drive.
Samuel was targeted seven times and had three catches for 16 yards.
It was a far cry from the performance one would have expected from a wide receiver who has doubled down on his frustration with the way the 49ers offense has used him this season.
On Monday, he posted to X: “I'm not having a hard time at all, just not getting the ball!”
Samuel eventually deleted the post and wrote on the social media platform that he did not “hate” his teammates.
But when the matter was brought up to reporters on Tuesday, he doubled down on his comments.
“You read what you read,” Samuel said. Per ESPN. “[I’m] It's definitely a little frustrating. ”
After Thursday, it's hard to imagine his frustrations will subside anytime soon.
The wide receiver has been in the midst of a downturn, entering Thursday's game with just 553 receiving yards and one touchdown.
