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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
The San Francisco 49ers could be without their most explosive playmaker on Sunday in the NFC Championship game at home against the Detroit Lions (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has confirmed that receiver Deebo Samuel has a shoulder injury that will put his availability into question for this weekend. Shanahan said the 49ers won’t know more about Samuel’s status until later this week.
“If we know he’s not available — which hopefully we would know that by Wednesday, Thursday or Friday — than it makes it easier at least from a game-plan standpoint,” Shanan told reporters on Monday. “But if there’s any chance, which I think we’ll have a better idea by Wednesday, then obviously there will be things in there for him.”
Samuel missed two games earlier this season with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder. He had to leave the game in the first half of his team’s win Saturday against the Green Bay Packers with an injury to that same shoulder.
“He tried to come back, couldn’t do it,” Shanahan said. “I know he did something similar versus Cleveland.”
On Monday, Shanahan said X-rays on Samuel’s shoulder came back negative, meaning no fractures.
“It wasn’t broken, so that’s a real good sign,” Shanahan told reporters. “But it’s still hurting too much for us to have a real idea of how it will heal up this week. But we just got to be patient, see how he heals up on Wednesday. Based on if it’s improving, that will give us a better idea if he has a chance for the game or not.”
Filling in for Samuel, Jauan Jennings played 40 snaps on offense, finishing with five catches for 61 yards on six targets. Four of those catches were good for first downs.
Jennings did try to run a Samuel go-to play out of the backfield when Shanahan forgot his “wide-back” was not on the field and Jennings lost a yard. So, the 49ers probably won’t use him as a runner…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/if-deebo-samuel-shoulder-is-out-sunday-whats-49ers-backup-plan
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Publish date : 2024-01-23 00:53:24
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