49ers WR had one of the weirdest stat lines in NFL history in Week 3 - Niners Wire

What San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel did vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 shouldn't be possible.

Samuel took a lateral from wide receiver Mike Evans on the 49ers' first drive of Sunday's game at Levi's Stadium. After Evans pitched it to his teammate, Samuel turned the corner for a first down, then broke a tackle and was off to the races. 80 yards later he was in the end zone with a vintage touchdown reminiscent of one the former All-Pro might've had in his breakout 2021 campaign.

The touchdown put San Francisco ahead 7-0 in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. It would be the last time Samuel's name would be called in the passing game all day, leading to one of the weirdest stat lines in NFL history.

By taking the lateral from Evans, Samuel was credited with receiving yards for everything he did once the ball was in his hands. He did not, however, receive credit for a catch or a target. He was also not targeted again in the passing game. That means his stat line finished like this in the box score:

His 80 receiving yards are the most in NFL history among players with zero catches. Samuel shattered the previous high of 65 yards which Philadelphia Eagles running back Timmy Brown set back in 1965.

There aren't many players like Samuel in NFL history in terms of his all-around skill set, and there certainly isn't a modern wide receiver who has impacted games in the variety of ways Samuel has. It's fitting that the player who helped redefine what a receiver can do on a football field now also possesses one of the weirdest-looking stat lines in NFL history.