Arguably the 49ers’ biggest weapon is back and he’s ready to put it all on the line. After sitting out the game against the Packers due to a shoulder injury, Deebo Samuel has been activated on the roster for the NFC Championship game. This news has even caused the point spread to move, with San Francisco being favored by 7.5 points now, moving up from 7. But will he be playing more cautiously? Absolutely not.
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The Wide receiver is good to go for Sunday’s matchup against the Lions, after suffering a “bruised shoulder” during the Packers matchup. Fortunately, the 49ers were victorious anyway. When Samuel was asked about protecting himself physically, his reply was prompt and self-assured, “I ain’t protecting nothing,” he said. He called his injury a “deep bruise or whatever“, and expressed gratitude at it not being a more serious injury, like what he suffered during the Browns game.
Deebo Samuel to Return Kickoffs?
Will the 49ers have Deebo Samuel play more than his normal position? According to HC Kyle Shanahan, he might return kickoffs during the game. Before acknowledging that Samuel “might” return kicks, Shanahan said of how they’re going to utilize Samuel, “I don’t know. We haven’t thought about that yet.”
Shanahan said Deebo will have no sort of limitation, and that he risks no further damage to his shoulder if he plays. However, the pain was bad enough for Samuel during the Packers matchup that he left and couldn’t return. While he is adamant about not trying to protect himself, that might not be the best decision. If the 49ers lose him now and make it to the Super Bowl, there will be no Samuel to push them over that tiny edge.
