Deebo Samuel’s placement on Injured Reserve on Saturday was unexpected following some optimism Friday about his outlook from head coach Kyle Shanahan. The head coach on Monday said Samuel’s placement on IR came after he suffered a setback in his recovery. The second-year receiver will have to miss at least three games for his IR stint, but the team is expecting him back for Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Shanahan said in a video conference Monday that Samuel experienced some soreness in his foot that got worse instead of better, forcing the team to put him on IR and clear a roster spot rather than trying to force him into action.
The good news from Shanahan is that they’re not anticipating missing Samuel for more than the minimum three games he’s required to be on IR. He said the plan is for Samuel to get back after the team’s two-game road trip against the Jets and Giants.
While Shanahan expressed optimism about Samuel’s eventual return, this will be worth keeping a close eye on. Samuel suffered a Jones fracture which has a history of being a tricky injury to recover from. His timeline for return was 12-16 weeks. Coming back against the Eagles would put him right up against the 16-week mark, but a setback around 12 weeks isn’t a great sign.
Samuel last season led all 49ers wide receivers with 57 receptions and 802 receiving yards. He posted six total touchdowns as well. The 49ers need Samuel at full strength for their offense to reach its maximum potential, so they can’t afford for the former second-round pick to suffer any additional issues in his recovery.