In the 24-21 Divisional Round win against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Deebo Samuel, the wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, sustained an injury to his left shoulder and was subsequently ruled out of the game.
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan did not provide an immediate update on Samuel’s condition.Â
“I’m unsure,” he remarked regarding the seriousness of the injury. He also mentioned that the injury was akin to the one that Samuel had suffered earlier in the season against the Cleveland Browns. “We’ll have to wait and see tomorrow.”
Samuel sustained the injury during the 49ers’ second drive and subsequently went to the locker room for evaluation. He was listed as questionable and made it evident that he would not be returning as he appeared in street clothes for the second half. Following a three-and-out on the team’s first drive, he was officially ruled out by the team minutes later.
The Niners’ wide receiver had previously undergone an evaluation for a head injury after being hit during the team’s first drive.
Although he was cleared from that injury, he unfortunately sustained another one.
During the game, Samuel managed to secure two catches for 24 yards, while San Francisco was leading 7-3.
He had accumulated 60 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 regular-season games. The Niners suffered defeats in the two games that Samuel missed, as part of a three-game losing streak that commenced when the wide receiver injured his shoulder in a Week 6 loss to the Browns.
However, rather than following that pattern, San Francisco utilized its other dynamic playmakers.
Christian McCaffrey rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns, including the winning score, while George Kittle led the team with 81 yards and also secured a touchdown with four receptions.
Both players significantly contributed to the Niners’ comeback win, propelling them to the NFC Championship Game for the third consecutive season.
It is uncertain at this point whether Samuel will be available for that game.
