The San Francisco 49ers have spent the majority of the 2026 campaign overcoming a rash of injuries, and that will have to continue in Week 10. The Niners have gotten several key players back as of late, but they still aren’t fully healthy, as they ruled out star wide receiver Mike Evans on Friday as he continues to deal with an Achilles injury.
While Evans won’t be playing, San Fran has been hoping throughout the week that it would be able to get back its No. 2 wide receiver, Deebo Samuel. The Niners have been forced to play without Samuel for the past three games, but he’s been trending towards making his return to action all week long, and while the team got bad news on Evans, they managed to get some good news on the former First Team All-Pro.
Deebo Samuel Cleared to Play for the 49ers in Week 10
Samuel turned himself into one of the most explosive playmakers over the first six years of his career with the 49ers, and after spending the 2025 campaign with the Washington Commanders, he found his way back to San Fran after a one-season hiatus. Sure enough, in his first five games with the Niners, Samuel looked like his old self.
So far this season, Samuel has caught 16 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing the ball nine times for 78 yards. At his peak, Samuel was a Swiss Army knife for the 49ers who could rip off a big play any time he touched the football. Sometimes, that meant using him as a wide receiver, and other times, that meant using him as a running back. Regardless of how he got the football, Samuel was always explosive.
Evans and Samuel have formed a strong pairing for San Francisco, but they both have been battling injuries as of late. A hamstring strain has kept Samuel off the field for the past three games, but after returning to practice this week, there was optimism he could play on Sunday. The Niners took the suspense out of the situation on Friday, as they removed Samuel from the injury report, which means he will be back in action for a big game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Deebo Samuel Immediately Set to Take on Big Role for the 49ers
Without Evans and Samuel on the field recently, the 49ers have had to string things together on offense, so getting one guy in this duo back is a huge win for the team. Samuel has a strong rapport with Brock Purdy at quarterback, so with Evans still sidelined, he should see a ton of action against a struggling Cowboys defense.
San Fran’s ability to get by with whoever it has on the field has been a crucial part of its success, but it would obviously rather have its best players involved at all times. Adding Samuel back into the fold is important not just for this game, but for the rest of San Fran’s 2026 campaign, so all eyes will be on him to see what he can do against Dallas on Sunday.
49ers Get Major Deebo Samuel Injury News Amid Mike Evans Absence