The article Deebo Samuel provides an injury update amid the 49ers’ three-game losing streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The 49ers’ offense has been missing Deebo Samuel during the team’s current three-game losing run, but it appears the talented wide receiver will be returning soon.
Samuel sat out San Francisco’s Weeks 7 and 8 defeats to the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals after leaving the team’s Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns with a shoulder injury after only nine snaps. Later that week, a CT scan indicated that Samuel had a hairline fracture in his left shoulder and would miss at least two games.
While the 49ers’ “wide back” is slated to be reevaluated following this week’s bye, he gave a positive report on Thursday’s episode of the “Up & Adams” show.
“I am ready to go,” Samuel enthusiastically told Adams when he was asked for a health update.
That’s undoubtedly music to the ears of the 49ers faithful, who have seen quarterback Brock Purdy and the rest of San Francisco’s offense lose three straight games without Samuel. While Purdy has kept the 49ers in each loss, late-game offensive blunders and concomitant defensive lapses have hindered San Francisco from winning in the last three weeks.
Purdy’s touchdown-to-interception ratio this season is 8-0 with Samuel on the field, compared to 4-5 in the three games Samuel has missed, according to Next Gen Stats. Purdy also has a 71.1 completion % with Samuel compared to a 64.6 mark without him, and his passer rating is over 40 points different with and without Samuel as an option.
Given those numbers, there’s no questioning the wideout’s gravitational pull when he’s on the field and how his presence influences the game’s outcome. Despite the fact that the 49ers have struggled without him, Samuel believes his team will be able to overcome the adversity they suffered in October after a hot start to the 2023 NFL season.
“I don’t think [the locker room] has changed at all,” Samuel remarked after the team gathered on Tuesday. “As we look at ourselves and the coaches slam us, we have to be even tougher on ourselves.” Losing three consecutive games is not in our culture or what we do.
“It’s good that we a get a bye in the middle of the season so we can come back fresh and ready to go, because we know what it takes and we know the next step that it’s going to take for us to get to where we want to be.”
Of course, the 49ers’ ultimate goal is to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February. With Samuel back in the mix, San Francisco’s mission will be considerably easier.
