San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel sustained a calf injury late in a gritty Week 2 showdown against the Minnesota Vikings and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Monday.
Shanahan noted that Samuel believes the injury occurred on the penultimate play of the game, a tight 23-17 loss. Despite the painful end, Samuel had an exceptional performance, hauling in eight passes for 110 yards. In just two games, he has made 13 receptions for 164 yards and added a rushing touchdown in the 49ers’ Week 1 triumph over the New York Jets.
A former Pro Bowler, Samuel is renowned for his dual-threat capabilities as both a receiver and a running back. The 28-year-old has racked up a remarkable 4,286 receiving yards on 296 receptions and 19 touchdown catches, alongside accumulating 1,020 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns over his six-year career with San Francisco.
The 49ers are heading into critical divisional matchups over the next four weeks and may be without Samuel’s invaluable presence for some or all of their games. They will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, and take on the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 6. Unfortunately, their bye week doesn’t arrive until Week 9, making it a challenging stretch for the team.
This setback for Samuel arrives on the heels of another blow to the team, as the 49ers recently placed star running back Christian McCaffrey, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, on injured reserve due to calf tightness and Achilles tendinitis.
With their offensive artillery significantly dented, the 49ers will need to rally and find new ways to keep the momentum alive in these upcoming crucial games. The stakes are high, and the excitement is palpable as we watch Shanahan and his squad tackle the adversity head-on.
