Even though the San Francisco 49ers have a formidable roster, they aren’t the same without receiver Deebo Samuel.
The 49ers had to quickly acclimate to life without Samuel less than half way through the postseason. During the second quarter, he returned to the locker room due to a shoulder injury. His night was over when he emerged for the third quarter without a uniform.
On San Francisco’s opening drive in the divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, Samuel was knocked out. Samuel was battling several opponents to gain extra yards after a brief catch. He was struck in the helmet by Jaire Alexander, who entered from the side. When tackled, Samuel lay down for a considerable amount of time. He didn’t head to the medical tent right away, but he did so soon after leaving the field.
The 49ers stated that Samuel’s comeback was uncertain and he was being assessed for a head injury. After being cleared of that, he did play a few more plays in the game, but later on in Fox’s coverage, trainers were seen tending to Samuel’s shoulder on the sidelines. Not long after, he returned to the changing area.
Samuel plays a key role in the 49ers’ star-studded offense. This season, the 49ers were 12-3 when Samuel was in the lineup and 0-2 when he wasn’t.
The 49ers’ offensive arsenal is vast. Yet Samuel has proven difficult to replace.
