Deebo Samuel's Madden rating is extra fuel for 2023 bounce back
Deebo Samuel needed no motivation to bounce back from what he admitted was a below-par 2022. But some extra fuel came his way on Monday with the release of the player ratings for wide receivers in Madden 23. Samuel was rated as an 89 overall for the latest edition of the video game, putting him […]
Deebo Samuel needed no motivation to bounce back from what he admitted was a below-par 2022.
But some extra fuel came his way on Monday with the release of the player ratings for wide receivers in Madden 23.
Samuel was rated as an 89 overall for the latest edition of the video game, putting him 14th among all wide receivers.
He received that rating following a 2022 campaign in which he missed four games through injury and finished with 864 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns.
Those numbers marked a huge drop-off from his All-Pro 2021 campaign, in which he carried the 49ers to the playoffs, racking up 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns.
Samuel labeled his 2022 as "awful", accepting that negotiations over his contract extension impacted his preparations for the season.
Last month, Samuel said:
Me and Kyle [Shanahan] had a long meeting the other day. We watched tape, we talked about it, we put it behind us and just going through the tape and just look how sluggish and how bad it looked on tape, like I said, just reflecting on last offseason, it [the contract saga] kind of played a big role in that. I'll never put nothing like that back on tape again.
The former second-round pick is already hard at work preparing for next season and, though Madden ratings are trivial, they are something plenty of players pay attention to.
Though he is still in the top 20 among receivers, Samuel will believe he deserves a rating in the 90s and a place in the top 10.
San Francisco's self-titled 'wide back' is one of the most versatile and devastating offensive threats in the NFL when he at his best. Not at his best often enough last year, Samuel already possesses plenty of determination to get back to his 2021 form. A disappointing Madden rating offers a little extra incentive.
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