Deebo Samuel’s jersey number: Why the 49ers wide receiver will wear number 1 and not 19 in the 2024 season
The 49ers offense won’t look much different this season than it will in 2023, and the organization is more than happy about that.
Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams are back in the fold after not practicing all summer, and they join Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brock Purdy to form a team looking for revenge after a narrow Super Bowl loss.
It’s easy to lose Samuel in the flood of stars, but the former All-Pro had 1,770 scrimmage yards in 2021 and adds an element to the 49ers offense that no one else on the field can provide. This year, Samuel also brings with him a brand new jersey number.
Here’s why Samuel changed his number from No. 19 to No. 1 ahead of the 2024 season.
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Why did Deebo Samuel change his number?
Samuel wore No. 1 at South Carolina, but when he was drafted in 2019, wide receivers in the NFL were not allowed to wear single-digit numbers. This change was made before the 2021 season and allowed receivers to wear any number between 1-49 and 80-89.
However, former 49ers safety Jimmie Ward also wore No. 1 in college. Since Ward was older, he was the first to get the opportunity to switch to No. 1, which prompted Samuel to stick with No. 19.
Ward left the 49ers after the 2022 season, but the move likely took a year because the NFL requires players to purchase all inventory with their jersey number if they want an immediate switch. By waiting a year, Samuel could have switched to No. 1 without having to spend anything.
Samuel played in two Super Bowls with the 49ers, but the number change is a nod to his college days. Although he started with the Gamecocks wearing No. 9, Samuel finished his college career wearing No. 1 and an 882-yard, 11-touchdown season that earned him a high second-round pick in the NFL Draft after missing most of the 2017 season with an injury.
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Deebo Samuel South Carolina Stats
| season | School | Games | Recommended. | Shipyards | TD | Y/R |
| 2015 | South Carolina | 5 | 12 | 161 | 1 | 13.4 |
| 2016 | South Carolina | 10 | 59 | 783 | 1 | 13.3 |
| 2017 | South Carolina | 3 | 15 | 250 | 3 | 16.7 |
| 2018 | South Carolina | 12 | 62 | 882 | 11 | 14.2 |
| career | 30 | 148 | 2,076 | 16 | 14.0 |
Samuel’s college career was interrupted by a broken leg at the beginning of the 2017 season, but he rebounded impressively in 2018, scoring 11 touchdowns in 12 games.
Samuel got off to such a good start in 2017 that he may not have returned to school in 2018 had he stayed healthy, but the Gamecocks recognized Samuel’s full potential in his final season. Samuel finished his college career with 2,076 receiving yards, which currently ranks 11th in program history.
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Deebo Samuel NFL Stats
| season | Games | Recommended. | Shipyards | TD | Y/R | Training Yards |
| 2019 | 15 | 57 | 802 | 3 | 14.1 | 961 |
| 2020 | 7 | 33 | 391 | 1 | 11.8 | 417 |
| 2021 | 16 | 77 | 1,405 | 6 | 18.2 | 1,770 |
| 2022 | 13 | 56 | 632 | 2 | 11.3 | 864 |
| 2023 | 15 | 60 | 892 | 7 | 14.9 | 1.117 |
| career | 66 | 429 | 4,122 | 19 | 14.6 | 5,129 |
Samuel has been limited by persistent injuries at times during his NFL career, but when he’s on the field, he’s a dynamic part of the 49ers’ offense.
The former second-round pick had his big breakout season in 2021, connecting brilliantly with Jimmy Garoppolo and racking up 1,405 receiving yards. Kyle Shanahan has also used Samuel frequently out of the backfield, racking up 1,007 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns in five seasons.
Samuel’s path to another 1,000-yard receiving season is complicated by the number of quality pass catchers on the 49ers’ offense, but a fully healthy season could put him on the path to his best performance since the 2021 season.
