San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel apologized Monday for his Week 14 touchdown celebration that involved him stepping over a cameraman, moments after accidentally knocking him to the ground.
The 2021 Pro Bowler finished the Niners win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with four receptions for 43 yards and four carries for 21 yards and the touchdown. Samuel suffered an ankle injury on a second quarter carry, however, and could miss the rest of the regular season.
The 26-year-old is tied with Christian McCaffrey for the team lead with three rushing scores and is third in rushing attempts (41) and rushing yards (228). Samuel is also second to Brandon Aiyuk in both receptions (54) and receiving yards (612), while adding a pair of receiving touchdowns on a team-high 91 targets.
Samuel’s situation on Sunday isn’t the first incident involving a star wide receiver and a cameraman this NFL season. At the end of the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, stud wideout Davante Adams shoved a cameraman to the ground as he made his way towards the player’s tunnel.
Adams avoided a suspension for the shove, but the cameraman eventually filed a police report, telling authorities that he was the victim of an assault and claiming he was injured as a result. He was also taken to a local hospital, according to local authorities.
It was reported in November that a court hearing stemming from the incident had been pushed back to Jan. 23.
