Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, will play against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game despite a shoulder ailment, and he does not intend to be cautious.
When asked how he planned to safeguard his left shoulder on Sunday, Samuel baulked.
“I ain’t protecting nothing,” Samuel stated Friday, according David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone.
Samuel’s shoulder injury occurred during the 49ers’ Divisional Round victory over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. He made two catches for 24 yards before leaving.
He previously injured the same shoulder earlier this season, suffering a hairline fracture against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. This led him to miss two games.
The good news is that this time, X-rays were negative, and Samuel just sustained a severe bruising.
“At the time, it hurt a lot,” Samuel remarked. “I was scared a little. I believed I’d fractured it again, and I was all over the place. In a major game like that, I had a million emotions on the sidelines, trying to keep things together for my team.
The 28-year-old wide receiver took full part in Friday’s practice.
“It was kind of painful at the time, but as the week went on, [the training staff] did a good job, getting all the pain away, getting all my motion and strength back, and I feel like they did an outstanding job,” said Samuel.
In 15 games this season, Samuel caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ran for 225 yards and five touchdowns.
Samuel, who played collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, was taken by San Francisco in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
His best season to date came in 2021, when he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 365 yards and eight scores. This earned him a Pro Bowl berth and a spot on the First Team All-Pro.
Deebo Samuel has not replicated those numbers in any previous season, but he remains an important part of the Niners’ offence, and his simple presence on the field should benefit the team against the Lions.
