RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sources‘Hated Him for So Long’ — 49ers DC Raheem Morris Gets 100% Real on Deebo Samuel Sr.’s Return to San Francisco
Across seven seasons in the NFL, Deebo Samuel has developed a knack for making others look foolish on the football field. That includes Raheem Morris, the new defensive coordinator on the San Francisco 49ers, whom Samuel recently rejoined after injuries struck.
While Morris himself hasn’t missed a tackle or been burned by Samuel’s route-running, he has often been the defensive mastermind tasked with slowing the Pro Bowl receiver down. Now that they’re battling for the same side, Morris feels comfortable opening up about his longstanding hatred for the 30-year-old receiver.
49ers D-Coordinator Admits to ‘Hating’ Samuel
Before he accepted the 49ers’ defensive coordinator job this past offseason, Morris spent two seasons as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, sharing the same conference as Samuel.
Yet these two overlapped even more often from 2021 to 2023, when Morris was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and faced Samuel twice per season. In fact, Samuel has faced Morris’ defenses seven times in his regular-season NFL career.
Samuel’s production in those matchups is revealed below, but before that happens, Morris’s reaction to teaming up with the star receiver is pure gold. Here’s what the 49ers’ defensive playcaller told the San Francisco media about Samuel.
“I hated him for so long,” Morris said. “It’s so nice to have him back in a friendly atmosphere. He’s been one of those guys that’s been a highly competitive guy in the National Football League that you gotta deal with. No matter what the circumstance of the game is, what the situation is in the game, you’ve got to be aware,” he added.
Morris also explained, “He’s the ultimate piece that can move around, and you have to gameplan around because of his ability to run the football, his ability to line up at receiver. His ability to take screens. The ability to do a bunch of different things on special teams, whether it be the return man or whatever the case may be. He’s so versatile. We’ve used him so well in the Bay for so long.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
In those matchups against Morris’s defenses, Samuel has compiled 471 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. He’s also rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
As noted, Samuel has been a thorn in the side of Morris. But now that they’re working toward the same goal, Morris can’t help but respect Samuel’s ability as a playmaker, both as a rusher and receiver.
“I think it was ’22,” Morris reflected. “He caught this pass on us that we should have picked off and I think he took it for about 60. I think he was a free agent, and it played every day that summer. I couldn’t watch ESPN for, that entire summer, I kept watching Deebo score a 60-yard touchdown on us. Those are the biggest memories I got of him, with him making big-time plays on us and them finding ways to get him the ball in unique situations, getting him the ball in space. We know what he can do in space.”
Now that he will no longer be tasked with trying to defend him, Morris sounds excited for the chance to work with such a respected playmaker.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.