San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel sustained a calf strain during the team’s Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Samuel was clearly in pain toward the end of the game but still managed to play the final offensive snap. That brief return gave 49ers fans and fantasy football managers hope that the injury wasn’t severe enough to sideline him for long.
Samuel’s determination at the end of the game led many to believe he might return quickly.
Part of the confusion stemmed from head coach Kyle Shanahan’s postgame comments. Shanahan told reporters there were no injuries to report, fueling speculation that Samuel’s condition wasn’t as serious as it appeared.
It’s possible Shanahan didn’t yet know about the injury, as it occurred late in the game. At the time of his press conference, the severity of the injury may have still been under evaluation by the team’s medical staff.
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Later, Shanahan offered more clarity on Samuel’s situation. In a follow-up media session, he shared how Samuel believed the injury occurred. According to Shanahan, Samuel injured his calf during one of the final plays of the game.
“He told me he thinks he felt it when he caught the third-to-last play,” Shanahan explained. “The Vikings had a blitz down in the red zone, and he caught the hot route breaking in. He says he felt something then. I think there were only two or three plays after that.”
Deebo Samuel Discusses His Rehab Process
In line with reports circulating around the league, Samuel later revealed on a podcast that he would undergo rehab for the next two weeks, targeting a potential return in Week 5.
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Samuel’s recovery timeline matches reports from various sources, suggesting that the 49ers will be without both him and star running back Christian McCaffrey for the time being.
With key offensive weapons sidelined, quarterback Brock Purdy will need to rely heavily on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and other role players. How Purdy performs without Samuel and McCaffrey could shift the narrative around the league about his ability to succeed independently of his supporting cast.
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