Deebo will join the crowded list of 49ers stars to miss time due to injury.
Coach Kyle Shanahan offered an update on the playmaking wide receiver after he missed his third straight practice Friday in Santa Clara, saying Samuel will be out for Sunday’s contest against the Los Angeles Rams.
“It’s not a precaution,” Shanahan said. “He’s not good enough to go. Hopefully since he even had a chance, hopefully he’ll be good with a week off and ready for the next game.”
The Niners will get a much-needed bye week following the Rams, so they're circling a Week 10 return date against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Deebo finished out Sunday’s game, hauling in five catches for 42 yards, but reported the setback at the team facility the following day. Samuel is yet to recapture his 2021 form in this year’s stagnant offense, as he has 32 catches for 387 yards (12.1 per reception) for two touchdowns, and 24 rushes for 138 yards (5.8 per carry) and one more score. Last season he led the NFL with 18.2 yards per reception and set a record for a receiver with eight rushing touchdowns.
In the Week 4 matchup against the Rams, Deebo put together his best game of the season so far, hauling in six catches for 115 yards and a score. He also mocked a sorry tackling attempt from known trash-talker Jalen Ramsey, so it's too bad we won't see them go head-to-head again at SoFi Stadium.
Deebo isn’t the only wideout who could be sidelined Sunday, as No. 3 option Jauan Jennings is also questionable with a hamstring injury. That means the Rams secondary could be focused heavily on Brandon Aiyuk, who has 15 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns the past two games combined.
Shanahan said the 49ers will have to dip into the practice squad receiver ranks for Sunday’s game.
“We’ll see how Jauan is tomorrow, see whether we gotta do one or two,” Shanahan said.
Ray-Ray McCloud slots in as the No.2 receiver while fourth-round rookie Danny Gray, who is yet to make a catch on six targets in four games, will also be in an elevated role. Tight end George Kittle remains a top option in the passing game for Jimmy Garoppolo, though the absence of reliable safety valve Kyle Juszczyk (finger) will also be a detriment to the Niners offense.
Aside from Deebo and Juice, other key offensive players like quarterback Trey Lance (foot/ankle), tight end George Kittle (groin), running back Elijah Mitchell (MCL) and tackle Trent Williams (ankle) have missed time this season.
The absence of Deebo comes as Christian McCaffrey enters his first game with the 49ers following a full week of preparation.
McCaffrey carried the ball eight times for 38 yards and also caught two passes for 24 yards in 22 snaps, as his workload was truncated by a 48-hour crash course on the playbook. He lined up mostly in the backfield, but also motioned out to the slot pre-snap a few times. On another play, McCaffrey lined up out wide and ended up blocking on a receiver screen.
“He worked real hard to get his stuff last week,” Shanahan said. “We gave the whole team the game plan on Wednesday. It’s harder for a guy when he hasn’t heard stuff other weeks, but he did great in his three practices and he’s good to go.”
Arik Armstead (foot/ankle) will miss his fourth straight contest while linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf) is also out. The Niners are hoping cornerback Jason Verrett (knee) will be able to make his season debut after starting the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
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