San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is “feeling better” but did not practice on Wednesday as he continues to recover from his shoulder injury suffered in last weekend’s Divisional Round win, coach Kyle Shanahan said.
When asked about Samuel’s chances of playing in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, Shanahan added the receiver’s current condition “makes me feel better.” The 49ers coach did not disclose any other updates on the versatile wideout’s status aside from Samuel continuing to deal with pain.
“His shoulder hurts,” Shanahan said at a press conference. “That’s all, yeah, it just hurts.”
Samuel was off to the side at San Francisco’s practice, donning a jersey and running sprints with a football tucked under his arm.
Ryan Kang/Getty Images/Getty Images
Samuel played only nine snaps in San Francisco’s 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers before permanently exiting the game with his injury. The 28-year-old took a hard hit after a nine-yard reception in the first quarter and was initially evaluated for a head injury before being cleared to return—only to exit again with a shoulder ailment. It marked the second shoulder injury for Samuel, who suffered a hairline fracture in Week 6 this season.
San Francisco’s worst fears were avoided when X-rays on the shoulder came back negative earlier this week. Shanahan confirmed on Monday that nothing was broken.
And that must have led to a collective sigh of relief for the Niners.
Samuel’s value to San Fran’s offense is no secret. The former All-Pro gained 1,117 yards and scored 12 touchdowns (seven receiving and five rushing) on 97 touches from scrimmage during the regular season despite missing two full games, plus most of another. Shanahan’s offense wasn’t the same without Samuel’s do-it-all abilities.
San Francisco has gone 1-3, including playoffs, in games Samuel played only 10 or fewer snaps this season, according to the NFL.
When Samuel was on the field, the 49ers averaged 7.1 yards per play in the regular season, but that number dropped to 5.7 when he was not. In contests with the dual-threat option healthy, the 49ers scored 32.3 points per game, while quarterback Brock Purdy completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Without Samuel? Those numbers fell to 18.8 points per game, and a 61.4 completion percentage, four TDs and five picks for Purdy, per the NFL website.
“I think he’s probably the best playmaker in this league,” Purdy said of Samuel on Wednesday. “You get the ball in his hands, he can do whatever he wants. Makes guys miss, breaks tackles—he’s strong, he’s tough, he’s got grit. And we all feed off it. Deebo definitely gives us some juice and energy and momentum on offense, and if he’s not playing, obviously that’s tough on us … We’d love for Deebo to play.”
The 49ers host the Lions at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.
This marks the third consecutive conference title game appearance for the Niners, who are hoping to avenge losses in the last two. Having Samuel healthy and active would certainly help ensure that happens, and one of his teammates in the wide receiver room thinks that’s a realistic possibility.
“I do, personally,” 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk said Wednesday when asked if he thinks Samuel will play. “But [I’ll] just continue to pray for him that he can get better throughout the week and be out there with us to finish the job.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.