SANTA CLARA — The 49ers are reportedly optimistic that a shoulder injury Deebo Samuel sustained in Saturday night’s 24-21 divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers will not sideline him for the NFC Championship Game.
According to the NFL Network, Samuel began rehab right after the game and is having a “full battery” of tests on Sunday. ESPN, quoted an unnamed source who said “I do” when asked if he was optimistic Samuel would play against either the Detroit Lions or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the title game.
The concern is the injury is to the same left shoulder that cost Samuel two games this season after he took a sideline hit in a 19-17 loss to Cleveland on Oct. 15. That injury wasn’t believed to be serious, but a second MRI disclosed a hairline fracture. Samuel missed games against Minnesota and Cincinnati — both losses — before returning against Jacksonville.
“He tried to come back. I know he did something similar against Cleveland,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after the Packers win. “So we’ll see tomorrow.”
The injury occurred with 5:35 left in the first quarter after taking a short pass near the sideline from Brock Purdy. Samuel was hit by Quay Walker and De’Vondre Campbell and was sent to the concussion tent for observation. It’s unclear whether the shoulder was injured on that same play, but Samuel wound up playing just nine snaps and came out after halftime out of uniform and in a hooded sweatshirt.