The San Francisco 49ers continue to be plagued by injuries, and once again, head coach Kyle Shanahan has delivered more bad news. Shanahan recently confirmed to reporters that a star wide receiver will miss a few weeks due to a calf injury.
The player in question is Deebo Samuel, who has been a starter in the early games of the 2024 NFL season. While he has yet to score a touchdown, his receiving yards have been on the rise. Against the Vikings, he posted 110 receiving yards, double his total from Week 1 against the Jets at home.
It’s important to note that the 49ers’ injury list keeps growing. Deebo Samuel won’t be the only player Kyle Shanahan will be without for Week 3. Unfortunately, Christian McCaffrey will also be unavailable in the coming weeks.
As for replacing Samuel, the 49ers have several options on the table. Their depth chart is deep enough to mitigate the absence of the star wide receiver. Among the names available are Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and Chris Conley.
Deebo Samuel’s Early Season Performance
Though Deebo Samuel has yet to find the end zone, he’s been picking up steam with the San Francisco 49ers. In Week 2, during the road loss to the Vikings, he hauled in eight receptions, three more than his five catches in Week 1 against the Bears. Unfortunately, Samuel wasn’t able to contribute in the rushing game last week, finishing with -10 yards on two rushing attempts.
It’s worth noting that Samuel has been with the 49ers since 2019, with 2021 being one of his standout seasons. That year, he posted 1,405 receiving yards, his only season to date with over 1,000 yards. In 2023, Samuel scored seven touchdowns, his career-high in that category with the 49ers.