The San Francisco 49ers held a very slight chance at a postseason bid entering Week 16. That small possibility was eliminated before they stepped on the field to face the Miami Dolphins. With that in mind, the best thing San Francisco could have done to help build for 2025 was lose in Miami. They didn’t intentionally do so, but did end up falling to the Dolphins 29-17 on Sunday.
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After the game, 49ers insider Grant Cohn offered his thoughts on the result. He took a sarcastic tone as San Francisco’s disappointing season began winding down and thanked quarterback Brock Purdy for “helping” the team earn a better draft pick at his own expense.
“It was a clutch loss. This was a must-lose game, and for a while… they were threatening to win it… [but] in the fourth quarter, with the 49ers really knocking on the door… who steps up? Brock Purdy. [He] throws a clutch interception when the 49ers really needed him to do it. He probably cost himself tens of millions of dollars… but he helped the 49ers preserve their draft position, which is more important. It’s a selfless move.”
San Francisco (6-9) is missing the playoffs for the fourth time in eight seasons under Kyle Shanahan. The other four years, the 49ers reached two Super Bowls and two other NFC Championship games. An immense number of injuries to key contributors played a big role in them flopping this season.
With so many players missing time because of severe ailments, San Francisco needs their healthy stars to make up for their absences. For most of the year, wide receiver Deebo Samuel has not been able to do that. In the mind of many 49ers fans, he was the reason the team lost on Thursday Night Football in Week 15.
49ers insider mocks Deebo Samuel’s quality performance
Samuel was eager to put his recent troubling stretch of play behind him on Sunday. His aggressive mindset led to his best game in quite some time. The six-year veteran posted 121 total yards and scored his first touchdown in 10 weeks against the Dolphins.
San Francisco has been begging for that type of vintage Samuel showing over the past month. To see it come only once the team was officially eliminated from playoff contention must’ve stung immensely. Cohn confirmed as much when comparing Samuel’s numbers to Purdy’s “clutch” play.
“Deebo Samuel picked the absolute worst time to have the best game of his season. He had an absolutely awesome audition for the Dolphins, who he may play for next year… this was not the game for him to bust out.”
Samuel, a rumored cap casualty and trade candidate, will be at the center of many more whispers this offseason. The 49ers’ extension of Brandon Aiyuk’s deal and drafting of Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft – along with the possibly pending upgrade of Purdy’s contract – could render him expendable over the months ahead.
If San Francisco were to cut Samuel, they’d incur a $31 million dead cap hit, per Spotrac. They play the Detroit Lions (13-2) on Monday Night Football in Week 17.
