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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel said he’s “protecting nothing” in terms of his nagging shoulder as he prepares to suit up for Sunday’s NFC title game against the Detroit Lions.
“A game like this, got to put everything on the line,” he told reporters. “We’ve been here four out of the last five years. Three years, we fell short, and then one year, we fell short in the Super Bowl. It’s kind of like, what is it gonna take? I feel like we’ve got all the things that we need in this building. … It’s all hands on deck, and we know what’s at stake.”
Samuel suffered a left shoulder injury during his team’s 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional round. It occurred when multiple Packers tackled him after he caught a pass with about five-and-a-half minutes left in the first quarter. He briefly re-entered the game later in the first half but returned in the second half in street clothes on the sideline.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Samuel did not suffer any breaks in his shoulder. Samuel notably missed two games earlier this season with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder.
On Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network dropped this update.
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
From @GMFB: The #Chargers and #Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh haven’t struck a deal yet; The #Ravens expect TE Mark Andrews back; The #49ers will know more on WR Deebo Samuel today. pic.twitter.com/3RDycbC9NP
“He’s still in a lot of pain, still struggling to get full movement in his shoulder,” Rapoport said. “He did rehab right after the injury, like that night, so really started the road to recovery immediately.”
Then Shanahan offered more bad news on Wednesday, telling reporters that he would not practice on that day and that his status for the conference championship was to-be-determined.
Samuel was practicing — albeit in a limited capacity — by Thursday and was a full participant Friday. That eased the concerns about his availability.
Needless to say, Samuel is an invaluable member of this team. He amassed 1,117 total yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2023 regular season. Samuel caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven scores and then added 225 yards and five touchdowns on 37 rushing attempts.
Without Samuel, the 49ers would turn to Jauan Jennings as their No. 2 wideout behind Brandon Aiyuk. The 6’3″ Jennings snatched 19 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown this season, and he added five catches for 61 yards in the playoff game vs. Green Bay.
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