The San Francisco 49ers received some good news regarding an injury to one of their superstar players. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffered what seemed to be a severe injury during the team’s Week 14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after which he was carted off the field. What is the nature of Samuel’s injury, and how long is he expected to be sidelined?
How Long Is Deebo Samuel Out Due to Injury?
On an inside run play in the second quarter, Samuel took a handoff up the middle and fell awkwardly while being tackled by several Buccaneers defenders. He immediately reached for his lower leg, was carted off the field, and subsequently ruled out for the game.
To the relief of the 49ers faithful, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Samuel didn’t suffer a season-ending injury and that the wideout has been diagnosed with a sprain to both his MCL and his ankle.
Early indications are that Samuel could make it back before the end of the regular season, as he’s currently looking at a three-week recovery timeframe. MCL sprains traditionally sideline players anywhere from two to four weeks, depending on their severity, while ankle sprains have a wider range.
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High ankle sprains can keep players out for six weeks or more, while low ankle sprains are generally less severe. Based on the initial timeframe given, it appears that Samuel’s ankle sprain is of the latter variety.
Extrapolating from the timeline Shanahan provided, Samuel will likely take the field, at the earliest, for the team’s Week 17 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. More likely, the team will be cautious with its superstar playmaker, given its status as a Super Bowl contender. A return for a season finale Week 18 showdown with the division-rival Arizona Cardinals or for the team’s first playoff game makes more sense.
49ers WR Depth Chart Options
With Samuel out, fellow starting wideout Brandon Aiyuk will likely see more involvement in the offense. Star tight end George Kittle is also in line for additional targets, while backups Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud III will see more snaps when the team is in two- and three-WR sets.
Given Samuel’s involvement in both the aerial and ground games, his absence will likely allot more touches to the already highly involved Christian McCaffrey. Rookie RBs Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason can expect to see a slight uptick in touches if the coaching staff is hesitant to overload McCaffrey with the season’s most important games right around the corner.