49ers Rumors: Deebo Samuel Expected to Play in NFC Title Game amid Injury Testing

Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to be available for next Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, a source told to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Samuel’s status was in question after he suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter of an NFC Divisional round win over the Green Bay Packers and was subsequently ruled out of the matchup after halftime.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game that Samuel “tried to come back, couldn’t do it. I know he did something similar versus Cleveland, so we’ll see tomorrow.”

The injury was a tough break for Samuel, who had been mostly healthy during he regular season.

However, the injury to Samuel’s shoulder caused some concern as he missed two games—an Oct. 23 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings and an Oct. 29 tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals—due to a hairline fracture in his shoulder.

Despite missing two games, the 28-year-old had a solid regular season, catching 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 225 yards and five scores on 37 carries.

Given the fact Samuel plays a dual-threat role in the San Francisco offense, it’s hard for any player to replace him.

Niners quarterback Brock Purdy turns to Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud and rookie Ronnie Bell at wide receiver alongside veteran Brandon Aiyuk whenever Samuel misses time.

With San Francisco gearing up for the NFC Championship game against the winner of Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’ll be crucial to get Samuel back on the field.