49ers WR Deebo Samuel Carted Off Field

In a dark spot during an otherwise phenomenal day for San Francisco, many thought the 49ers had lost one of their most-talented skill players to a serious injury, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. After his foot was pinned and twisted awkwardly underneath Buccaneers defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, 49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel was carted off the field as many of his teammates consoled him.

After being tackled, Samuel initially stayed down on the ground clutching at his leg. He attempted to walk off the field himself before needing to be helped to a cart. The 26-year-old appeared to be crying as he left the field and early reports from the team classified it as a knee injury, casting horror into the hearts of many a 49ers fan. Later on, though, it was reported that Samuel actually suffered an ankle injury and that he “is believed to have avoided a major injury,” according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The update is welcome news for San Francisco who is already working with its third-string quarterback Brock Purdy after injuries to season-opening starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Fortunately for the 49ers, Purdy has now led the team to two wins over teams that look to be headed to the playoffs, as of right now, and their good fortune continues if the reports that Samuel avoided major injury are confirmed. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the team is not sure about the extent of the injury but that it is “most likely” a high-ankle sprain, and Samuel’s left ankle “is not broken,” according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.

If Shanahan’s comments are accurate, a high-ankle sprain typically necessitates a four- to six-week recovery. With four weeks remaining in the regular season, Samuel will have to count on Purdy and company to keep the team alive long enough for him to make a likely return in the postseason. Samuel has plenty of experience with in-season recoveries. He suffered a broken leg during his redshirt junior season at South Carolina and was ruled out for the rest of the season. It was later announced that Samuel was working his way towards a possible return later on in the season before being permanently sidelined by a sprained foot that he would suffer in rehab. He also began the 2020 NFL season on injured reserve before making a late-season debut. Samuel is clearly not one to throw in the towel.

Samuel is not nearly on pace to match his incredible production from last year. His failure to produce as much is mainly just a byproduct of teammate Brandon Aiyuk‘s breakout season. Samuel receiving fewer touches and targets has helped the 49ers offense to be more evenly spread between himself, Aiyuk, tight end George Kittle, and whoever is playing at running back, most recently Christian McCaffrey.

If Samuel indeed needs to miss extended time, the 49ers will be counting on Aiyuk, Kittle, and McCaffrey to continue propping their third-string quarterback up. The team will ask receivers Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud to step up in Samuel’s absence and attempt to replace his production.