Deebo, T.O. cleared air after critical comments by ex-49ers great

Deebo, T.O. cleared air after critical comments by ex-49ers great originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Deebo Samuel and Terrell Owens are on the same page after critical comments by the former 49ers receiver.

The current star 49ers wide receiver addressed his relationship with the Pro Football Hall of Fame wideout during the latest “Cleats and Convos with Deebo Samuel” podcast.

“Me and T.O. had a phone call after that as well,” Samuel told host Liv Moods. “Talking to him, it was just, what do you call it? Cheeks and giggles. He said he made a joke out of it but the media blew it out of proportion and I kind of understood where he came from because a lot of stuff that, you know, as athletes say or other people say, they kind of take a little glimpse of things that we say and try to flip it.

“But me and T.O., we had a conversation, it was cool. He was cool about it. I was cool about it. No issue there. So I mean at the end of the day we cool for sure.”

Samuel is having a subpar 2024 NFL season by his standards. In 10 games, the All-Pro has caught 34 passes on 56 targets for 511 yards and one touchdown. He also has just 79 rushing yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.

That lackluster production from one of the 49ers’ most important players prompted Owens to make what he deemed “tongue in cheek’ comments during an appearance on 95.7 The Game last Thursday.

“Deebo is not really playing up to Deebo’s standards,” Owens told “Morning Roast” hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky. “Deebo, it seems like he’s more focused on his pregame attire than he is actually the game. So again, if we can shift that focus, maybe that can energize and create some more production from an offensive standpoint. Just kind of tongue in cheek with that.”

Samuel heard the comments last Thursday and responded on X, formerly Twitter.

Samuel expanded on his conversation with Owens, noting that the 15-year NFL veteran still believes the 5-6 49ers can turn their season around.

“He stated that he don’t watch … a lot of ball like he used to,” Samuel told Moods. “So he kind of catch it here and there. So he was just like, man, ‘We still have, you know, all the tools to flip stuff around and, you know, we still right where we want to be.’ He actually called me this morning and we talked a little bit as well.”

If there was any real beef between Samuel and Owens, it has been squashed.

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