San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is set to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday amid a wrist injury and following an illness that left him in the hospital last week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Samuel was limited to four snaps in San Francisco’s 28-18 los to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 and checked into a hospital after the game with pneumonia.
“I think it started acting up in the middle of the night Saturday night or early Sunday morning and then it just kind of evolved as the day went,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. “Once we found out he had the fluid in his lungs and stuff after the game, then I believe they sent him over there.”
Samuel’s illness summed up the Niners’ season, one in which they’ve seen multiple stars sidelined for stretches. Just on offense, running back Christian McCaffrey’s Achilles tendinitis kept him out for the first seven games, while wideout Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending torn ACL and MCL.
That the bottom hasn’t fallen out completely for San Francisco is a testament to the depth it has across the roster.
At the receiver position, Aiyuk’s injury has put an even higher priority on Samuel staying healthy.
The 2021 All-Pro has caught 20 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown so far, numbers that are somewhat skewed by how little he played against the Chiefs. He’s still good enough to be an anchor for the passing game.
Were the Niners to lose Samuel for an extended stretch, their offense could be in serious trouble.