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The San Francisco 49ers have navigated a litany of injury issues this season, but two players who went down Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings are weapons the Niners can ill afford to lose.
Niners wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffered an unspecified issue with his groin in the third quarter of a game with the Vikings on November 28. He exited the field following the injury and did not return. San Francisco ultimately won the contest 34-26.
Samuel spoke with reporters at the postgame press conference, during which he appeared upbeat and confident — both excellent signs for his Niners teammates and fans of the franchise, alike. Cam Inman, of Bay Area News Group, tweeted video of Samuel’s comments on Sunday afternoon.
“My groin got kind of tight once I went to make a move so I was just like, ‘Let’s not make that any worse.’ That’s why I just went down,” Samuel said.
The Niners’ star wideout was then asked a follow-up question about his level of concern regarding the groin tightness he experienced.
“Not too much concern. Got an MRI and stuff in the morning,” Samuel responded. “We just going to see how it goes.”
Samuel Not Only Star Niners Player Set to Undergo MRI Monday
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GettySan Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner delivering a punishing hit against the New York Jets.
The red hot Niners (6-5), who boast a record of 4-1 over their last five games, have not been stopped during the team’s current three-game win streak. San Francisco has scored just shy of 32 points per outing on its way to victories over the likes of the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings by an average of more than 16 points per win.
One issue that could derail the Niners’ newfound momentum is the multiple injury concerns to major contributors that came out of Sunday’s home win. Along with Samuel, star linebacker Fred Warner (hamstring), starting linebacker Dre Greenlaw (groin), starting defensive tackle Kentavius Street (wrist) and backup running back Trey Sermon (ankle) all left the game due to their injuries and did not return, according to Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan. Pass rusher Nick Bosa and backup linebacker Marcell Harris were each evaluated for possible concussions and cleared by team doctors.
Shanahan was asked by reporters during his postgame press conference whether he thought injuries to any of the several San Francisco players who left the playing field Sunday were serious enough to merit long-term concern. He was non-committal, but mentioned Warner by name.
“We’re not sure. We’re hoping,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see on the MRIs with Deebo and Fred. But we’re not sure yet.”
He added that Sermon’s X-rays “looked a little worse” than other injured players who were similarly evaluated.
Aside from Samuel, Warner would be the biggest potential loss for the Niners. The team made him the highest paid player at the position during the offseason with a five-year deal worth $95 million. He entered the season as the second-ranked linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Warner is the NFL’s 14th best linebacker this season based on current PFF rankings.
Samuel Doing Historic Things For Niners on Field This Season
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GettyDeebo Samuel gives Tyson Campbell of the Jaguars the stiff arm on Sunday, November 21.
Samuel is no slouch himself.
The breakout wide receiver is fourth in total receiving yards this season with 1,006, sitting a mere 77 yards out of the second place position held by Davante Adams, of the Green Bay Packers. But that’s just the start of it.
Samuel is also the Niners’ second leading rusher of the football with 203 yards through 11 games played, with six more contests to go. He has scored 5 TDs through the air and 5 TDs on the ground.
In fact, the pace Samuel is on as a dual pass catching/running threat is already historic, according to a stat provided by the NFL on ESPN Twitter account.
“Deebo Samuel is the first WR in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards, 5 receiving TDs and 5 rush TDs in a season,” the post said.
Suffice it to say, Samuel has been no joke this season. And losing him during the middle of a run that has put the Niners firmly back in the NFC Playoff picture would be no joke either, as he has been undisputedly the team’s most valuable offensive player to this point in the season.
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