49ers' Deebo Samuel 'Wouldn't Mind' Returning Kicks in 2024 After NFL Rule Change

With the NFL changing its kickoff rules to encourage more returns, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel wants the chance to field some kicks.

"I wouldn't mind doing it from the get-go," Samuel said, per David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com (h/t Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams). "I'm a team-first player, so if [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] was like, 'Hey, man, we don't want you to do it full-time. We just use you whenever we really need it,' I'm fine with that. But if you want to use me full-time, I'm all for that as well."

Samuel has returned just nine kicks in his five-year career, averaging 25.4 yards per return. He returned six last season for 154 yards. While starring at South Carolina in college, Samuel was a prolific kick returner, averaging 28.4 yards per return and racking up four kicks returned for touchdowns in his four seasons with the Gamecocks.

Given his importance to the 49ers, it makes sense why he isn't the team's main kick returner, but that might change now that new rules are put in place to hopefully avoid injuries on kickoffs.

Starting this season, kicking teams will line up on the 40-yard line and cannot move until the ball hits the ground or the player in the landing zone. The returning team will have nine blockers lined up between the 30- and 35-yard line and must have at least seven of those blockers touching the 35. Return teams are also allowed two returners that will line up inside the 20.

The new rules hope to avoid high-speed collisions while encouraging returners to bring the ball out more.

Whether the 49ers will let Samuel become a returner this year is to be determined, but it would likely make for some big plays.