George Kittle Calls Out Deebo Samuel Critics After Viral Video from Commanders Camp

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle took to social media to defend former teammate Deebo Samuel.

A video of Samuel running routes at half-speed during Washington Commanders minicamp went viral and garnered him some criticism for a perceived lack of effort or dip in explosiveness:

However, Kittle explained in a post on X why Samuel wasn't running at full speed and called for his detractors to rein it in, writing: "It's called group install when players jog thru plays. Knock it off."

The Niners traded Samuel to the Commanders this offseason, ending his six-year tenure in San Francisco.

San Francisco selected Samuel in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft, two years after taking Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

They both proved to be important parts of a sustained run of success, as the 49ers made four playoff appearances from 2019 to 2023 and reached the Super Bowl twice during that span.

Samuel, 29, is one of the most versatile wideouts in the league, as he excels both as a pass-catcher and runner, and he wreaks havoc on opposing defenses by going in motion with great regularity.

The 2021 season was the best of Samuel's career by far, as he set career highs with 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and also rushed for 365 yards while scoring 14 total touchdowns en route to Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors.

Injuries plagued Samuel in the years that followed, as he missed four games in 2022 and two games each in 2023 and 2024, plus he was limited in several others. That prevented him from achieving the heights he reached in 2021 once again.

Samuel has remained a productive player when healthy, but his 51 catches and 670 receiving yards last season were career lows in seasons in which he appeared in at least 15 games.

On the heels of that and the Niners disappointing by missing the playoffs with a 6-11 record, they dealt him to Washington for a fifth-round pick.

Samuel joins an exciting Commanders team that exceeded all expectations last season by reaching the NFC Championship Game on the strength of the Offensive Rookie of the Year in quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Rather than having to be the go-to guy in Washington, Samuel can be one of several weapons for Daniels, along with wide receiver Terry McLaurin, tight end Zach Ertz and running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.

As for Kittle, the six-time Pro Bowler figures to be one of quarterback Brock Purdy's top targets once again in 2025 amid the Niners' attempt to bounce back and return to the playoffs.