San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has leapt to the defense of his former teammate, Deebo Samuel Sr., after the player appeared in a viral video. The now Washington Commanders receiver went viral after a video emerged of him appearing sluggish when running a route at Commanders’ minicamp.
Kittle responded to the video, criticizing those who have attempted to make a big deal of the clip.
George Kittle Defends Deebo Samuel Sr. After Clip Goes Viral at 49ers Minicamp
Teams across the league have been gathering for mandatory minicamps as they begin early preparations for the 2025 season. The Commanders are no different and have been putting their new recruits through their paces as they look to go the distance this coming season.
One of those new recruits in Samuel, who was seen jogging through routes at camp, as he gets to grips with his new team’s offensive looks. Samuel has received criticism for the clip, as fans and analysts alike have voiced their concerns about his lack of speed and explosiveness.
Kittle was quick to fire back at those who have, in his opinion, overreacted to the video, claiming that it’s normal to run drills at a slower pace in camp.
“It’s called group install when players jog thru plays. Knock it off.”
It’s called group install when players jog thru plays. Knock it off
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) June 12, 2025
Kittle spent six years with Samuel in San Francisco, with both players having only represented the NFC West side since being drafted. As someone who, therefore, knows Samuel’s work ethic and practice habits better than most, the tight end was clearly unhappy with the false narrative.
Samuel Set For Bounce-Back After Down Year in 2024
Known for his dual-threat ability, Samuel averaged the second-lowest catch percentage of his career in 2024 (63%) and the lowest yards per rush attempt (3.2). The versatile receiver struggled with injuries, even attempting to play through pneumonia-like symptoms in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Samuel exited that game after playing just four offensive snaps and was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he remained for multiple days. He returned for Week 8, though, playing a full-time role despite spending almost half of the week in hospital with fluid in his lungs.
Now in Washington, Samuel will hope to put his 2024 season behind him and prove a vital fixture in the Commanders’ offense. Currently in line to serve as the team’s secondary receiver, he will likely also add another dimension to the team’s already-impressive run game.
Jayden Daniels proved to be among the most effective quarterbacks in the league when taking off on the run in 2024. Mixing Samuel into the rushing rotation alongside Daniels and running back Brian Robinson will likely prove a nightmare for opposing defenses in 2025.
