The San Francisco 49ers got a huge win on Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but had a big loss in the process with star wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffering both a sprained MCL and a high-ankle sprain in the game.
It looked far worse for Samuel when he actually sustained the injury, but it appears that he may be able to return before the end of the regular season for San Francisco.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the media on Tuesday and revealed a positive update on Samuel, saying that the receiver should be able to return “in three-ish weeks.”
“There are four weeks left in the regular season, I think they told me three-ish is our expectation,” said Shanahan.
Samuel was very noticeably upset when he was dealing with the injury, and Shanahan said that he felt for him in that moment.
“I can’t imagine being in that situation,” Shanahan added. “Everyone watching you, you kinda just want to hide. When that stuff happens, you never know if you are done for the week, the game, the year, or your career.”
Luckily, Samuel was able to escape with a far less severe injury than originally anticipated, and he’ll get back just in time for a potential postseason run.
The 49ers could clinch a playoff spot with a win this weekend over the Seattle Seahawks, and Samuel may not even be needed to come back in Week 18.
While this news may not effect the 49ers all the much down the stretch, it will certainly affect fantasy football players who have Samuel on their team.
Regardless, the 49ers couldn’t have asked for a better update considering Samuel was carted off the field on Sunday.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.