Deebo Samuel had a rough outing during Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Earlier in the week, Samuel had publicly called for more targets, writing on X (formerly Twitter) in a since-deleted post, “Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!!” while responding to criticism that his production was down in 2024.

On Thursday, the 49ers tried to amend things early, sending the very first pass of the game to Samuel. He dropped it.

The problems escalated dramatically in the third quarter when Brock Purdy hit Samuel on a crossing route right on the money. Samuel looked like he was home free, with a sure first down and what looked like plenty of space to reach the end zone.

But he dropped it again.

Loud boos rained down from the stands at Levi’s Stadium.

On the sideline after the play, Samuel was clearly frustrated with the drop.

While the drop would have hurt regardless, it was especially painful coming just after Samuel’s public call for more targets.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the 49ers hold a 6–3 lead over the Rams. There’s still time for Samuel to turn things around and make one heroic play, but for now, fans are left wanting a lot more from his performance.