Deebo Samuel was back in practice for the 49ers when they took the field Thursday to continue preparations for a Week 17 showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.
While he only practiced in a limited fashion, his return to the field is a good sign for his potential availability in Week 18. More importantly, it’s a great sign for his postseason availability.
Samuel initially hurt his knee and ankle when he got rolled up on in the first half of the 49ers’ Week 14 win over the Buccaneers. He was carted off and the visual of the injury left some concern that the 49ers may have to navigate the rest of the season without the star wide receiver.
He avoided a significant injury though and head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated shortly after that Samuel would only miss “three-ish” weeks. If he plays in Week 18 he will have missed three weeks exactly, though the club may opt to let him get an additional week off depending on how they feel about his readiness to return to play.
Here’s the full participation report for Thursday: