CONFIRMED: 49ers receiver Samuel set to play NFC title game against Lions
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who previously suffered a bruised left shoulder, is set to take the field this Sunday as the 49ers gear up to face the Detroit Lions in the NFC championship. The coach, Kyle Shanahan, confirmed that Samuel has been fully cleared from his shoulder injury and participated without restrictions in Friday’s practice, marking him as a “full-go” for the upcoming game. Despite initial concerns earlier in the week, Samuel’s recovery progress has been reassuring, instilling confidence in the team’s decision to include him in the lineup for this crucial matchup.
“It’s huge,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. “(It was) a little scary at the beginning of the week, but the fact that he was able to go full go today, no restrictions on him is definitely a good thing for us.”
San Francisco 49ers’ Samuel encountered a left shoulder bruise in the victorious clash against the Green Bay Packers in the divisional playoff on Saturday. The anxiety around the injury’s gravity stemmed from Samuel’s previous experience of a hairline fracture in the same shoulder during Week 6 of the regular season, leading to a two-game absence.
Amidst the playoff fervor, Samuel opted out of Wednesday’s practice and only participated in a limited capacity on Thursday. However, the plot thickened when he didn’t make an appearance on the team’s injury report come Friday. This development comes at a crucial juncture for the 49ers, who find themselves in their third consecutive conference championship game.
Samuel, undeterred by the recent setback, boldly asserted that he would not withhold any effort or contribution in the upcoming clash. The resilience and commitment demonstrated by the player reflect the high stakes of the championship game and the team’s pursuit of gridiron glory. The narrative sets the stage for a compelling showdown as Samuel, with a recent injury history, becomes a focal point in the 49ers’ quest for a coveted spot in the Super Bowl.
Samuel and Shanahan both acknowledged there were fears he’d suffered a similar injury to the hairline fracture that slowed him earlier this season, but tests this week showed otherwise.
“We were real worried right after the game because he couldn’t go back in and couldn’t finish that, which is always a concern,” Shanahan said. “”But then get the medical reports and you know that (playing Sunday) is possible.”
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