Deebo Samuel went down in a heap against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. For as bad as it looked, the wide receiver appears to be on the verge of making a comeback from his foot and ankle injuries.
“I think he has a chance to practice (Thursday),” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ll see how (Wednesday’s) workout goes and stuff.”
Deebo hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers like his record-setting 2021 campaign, but remains a massive weapon for the Niners as a dual-threat out of the backfield. It doesn't sound like he’ll be rested for the postseason. If Deebo practice Thursday and Friday, there’s reason to think he could return Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Shanahan is trying to find a balance the next two weeks as the 49ers gear up for the playoffs. He wants to make sure his team is healthy heading into the Wild Card weekend, which is guaranteed to take place in Santa Clara. Shanahan also doesn’t want his team getting rusty over the next two weeks.
“We’re not gonna risk guys who feel like they’re putting a lot of risk to where their body’s at now,” Shanahan said. “But I also think it’s a risk to tell guys who are playing at a high level, ‘Don’t play for three weeks,’ then, ‘Make sure you go at that high level for three-and-a-half hours when everything’s on the line. We’ll balance that out.”
There are a host of 49ers dealing with injuries. Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Nick Bosa also missed Wednesday’s practice due to illness.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (knee) sat out Wednesday’s practice in a scheduled rest day, while punter Mitch Wishnowski (illness) didn’t practice. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) was seen moving around the locker room with a scooter Wednesday.
Running back Christian McCaffrey (knee), defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot/ankle), defensive tackle Kerry Hyder Jr. (ankle), cornerback Ambry Thomas (ankle) and running back Jordan Mason (hamstring) were also limited.
The 49ers will travel to Sin City for a New Year’s Day matchup against the Raiders, before closing out the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals. At 11-4, the Niners remain a game behind the 12-3 Minnesota Vikings for the NFC’s No. 2 seed, which would ensure two home playoff games if the team made it that far. If the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles fail to advance to the NFC title game, the No. 2 seed could also be hosting the affair.
“The goal isn’t just being healthy in the playoffs,” Shanahan said. “We think we’re a really good team and we want to make sure that continues. We also think there’s room to get better. If anything happens, we want to make sure we’re better not worse. It’s really hard to put people on hold in football and expect you’ll be the same team. Every week – whether it’s the practice field or it’s a game – there are opportunities to get better. It’s great there’s an opportunity to get the two seed, we’ll see what it is after this week.”
