The San Francisco 49ers have not had their full complement of offensive weapons on the field together in a single game this year. Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending injury in Week 7 will prevent them from ever doing so in 2024.
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However, with running back Christian McCaffrey making his season debut on Sunday, they are slated to have everyone but Aiyuk for the first time in Week 10.
Or… will they? Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (rib/oblique) is questionable for the 49ers matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Most outlets and injury analysts anticipate him suiting up. But Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn and his co-host, “The Coach”, aren’t convinced.
On Saturday, Cohn and The Coach took to YouTube to discuss Samuel’s Week 10 outlook. The Coach told Cohn he believes the sixth-year wideout will be held out of Sunday’s action.
“He has been a very physical player, but I see that physicality waning. I do. I don’t necessarily see him being used as, kind of like that battering ram… in my opinion… he will sit.”
Cohn agreed, and said he thinks Samuel would be used as a “decoy” if he does end up playing.
Every receiver picks up nicks and scratches throughout their football life. But Samuel’s unique abilities and bruising play style lead him to take just as much punishment as he gives out. In The Coach’s mind, those hits have added up and taken their toll.
The Coach thinks Samuel’s body is breaking down
Over the years, Samuel has been the ultimate Swiss Army knife for head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 2021 first-team All-Pro has run routes, taken handoffs, and even returned kickoffs in his career.
All those touches have exposed him to immense contact regularly. This has the Coach convinced that the Deebo is no longer the weapon he used to be:
“Deebo’s older. He’s not the same athlete. I think certain injuries really derail him from the skillset that [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] expects from him. An oblique injury, and another injury on top of it… as far as this season is concerned, I don’t know if I’ve seen Deebo fight through an injury.”
The Coach then quickly took a moment to reiterate he’s not bashing Samuel for missing games. Instead, he wondered if Samuel’s body takes longer to recover week-to-week because of those past ailments.
“If you gotta sit, you gotta sit. I’m not here to shame him. But, at the same time… every [injury] Deebo has had this year, he’s had to take time off.”
Samuel sat out Week 3 and while he wasn’t officially inactive for Week 7, he only saw four snaps. He has missed two or more contests in three consecutive seasons.
San Francisco (4-4) is 1.5 games out of a wild card spot and a half-game behind the Arizona Cardinals for first place in the NFC West.
They simply aren’t in a position to rest Samuel for a potential playoff run at this moment. But if they want to ensure he’s healthy come playoff time, it may be best to keep him on the sidelines this week.
