San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

49ers WR continues never-ending feud with Lions DB

Detroit Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson made an ill-advised, yet unsurprising mistake in prematurely taunting San Francisco 49ers fans in the first half of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
The Niners stormed back from a 24-7 halftime deficit, won 34-31 and advanced to their second Super Bowl in five seasons, leading to one of Gardner-Johnson's rivals from San Francisco poking fun at his opponent's antics.

The Gardner-Johnson-Samuel back-and-forth is nothing new.

In October, video of a pregame scuffle between the 49ers and Cleveland Browns circulated on social media. During the encounter, Samuel and teammates Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams can be seen in a shoving match with Browns defensive back Juan Thornhill.

Though he had no involvement with either team, Gardner-Johnson couldn't help but chime in with his thoughts on the matter.

The 26-year-old safety continued the banter in October, writing on social media that the Niners dual threat was actually just a "running back" who "can't run routes."

Gardner-Johnson finished Sunday's loss with four assisted tackles while Samuel recorded team highs in targets (nine), receptions (eight) and receiving yards (89) while adding three carries for seven yards.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Blue Jays right-hander dealing with soreness in right elbow
Seahawks expect second-year WR to be 'massive piece'
Flyers sign defenseman to two-year extension
Les Miles files lawsuit against LSU over costly vacated wins
Star CB discusses future with Broncos
Lightning winger named a potential buyout candidate
Curry Brand signs 'Japanese Steph Curry' to multi-year deal
Steelers LB T.J. Watt addresses retirement timeline
136-game streak comes to an end for Spain in Euro 2024 opener
Watch: Bryson DeChambeau pays tribute to the late Payne Stewart after winning U.S. Open
Rory McIlroy chokes away U.S. Open with pair of brutal missed putts
Watch: Dodgers' Mookie Betts leaves game after taking 98 mph pitch to hand
Dodgers' Dave Roberts confirms Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going on 15-day IL
Ryan Blaney staves off challengers for dominant win at Iowa Corn 350
Sky forward Angel Reese rips officials following loss to Fever
Watch: Denmark's Christian Eriksen nets goal at Euro 2024 three years after suffering cardiac arrest
Watch: UFL championship marred by late on-field altercation between Stallions, Brahmas
Is Commanders' Jayden Daniels likely to open season as starting QB?
Kyrie Irving's warning to potential Celtics is being taken out of context
What could the Ducks fetch for Trevor Zegras in trade?

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.