Deebo Samuel, wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, is “feeling better” but did not practice on Wednesday as he continues to heal from a shoulder injury sustained in last weekend’s Divisional Round victory, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.
When questioned about Samuel’s chances of playing in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, Shanahan responded that the receiver’s present condition “makes me feel better.” The 49ers coach did not offer any more information on the dynamic wideout’s status, save from Samuel still dealing with
“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.
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.”
