GETTY Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 12, 2021.
The San Francisco 49ers are headed back to the NFC Championship, but the status of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and others is uncertain.
There will be more clarity as the week goes on, but the first official updates since Saturday’s 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers have now arrived through head coach Kyle Shanahan’s Monday press conference. Unfortunately, there are more than a couple of 49ers that are battling injuries this week.
In terms of Deebo, the third-year receiver’s knee was hit by a helmet towards the end of the game and is now recovering, but it doesn’t sound overly serious.
WR Deebo Samuel took a helmet to the knee and is sore today, coach Kyle Shanahan said. He expects him to be at practice on Wednesday.
That’s great news, as Deebo seemed to be in pain late in the game. Most notably, Samuel picked up a big first-down to set up Robbie Gould’s game-winning field goal but then had to hop off the field and avoided putting weight on his leg.
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Offensive Pieces Get Good News
Besides Deebo, Shanahan also updated the conditions of two other offensive players, tackle Trent Williams and running back Jeff Wilson Jr.
Wilson is back to the No. 2 RB in the playoffs after rookie Elijah Mitchell recovered from his late-season knee injury, but he’s about as good as a backup as any NFL team can hope for and having him as another option is something the 49ers definitely want against the Rams.
“RB/ST Jeff Wilson did not have a high-ankle sprain, so the team is hopeful that he will be available,” NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco tweeted. “He sustained the injury while running down to cover the opening kickoff of the game.”
Not a lot of detail, but at least a positive update rather than a negative one. Beyond that, Shanahan also spoke on a more vital piece in Williams, who also seemingly dodged a bullet.
LT Trent Williams has an ankle sprain and “there are some old components” to it, #49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. At this point, they are not exactly sure what his status will be for the game.
This update is less positive for the 49er faithful. They don’t know what his status will look like, but it’s worth noting that Williams did battle through the injury for a considerable chunk of the game in Green Bay.
Against the Rams, the need for Williams will be more important than ever. He did not play in the Week 18 game at SoFi Stadium, but there’s never going to be a situation that the Niners don’t want the All-Pro tackle on the field.
49ers Corner Receives an Update
Looking to the defensive side of the ball, Shanahan also addressed one of the players missing from the win over the Packers: corner Ambry Thomas.
The corner was suffering a deep knee bruise and was held inactive for the trip, but Shanahan said that the Divisional Round looks like the only time the rookie out of Michigan will end up missing.
“Starting CB Ambry Thomas was inactive Saturday for the game in Green Bay,” Maiocco reported. “He’s feeling better, and the #49ers hope he can practice on Wednesday and play on Sunday.”
After a tough start to the season, Thomas excelled in important games against the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams and in the Wild Card win over the Dallas Cowboys. There wasn’t an expectation for Thomas to take on a starting role and to deliver in said games, but the 49ers are now looking to him as someone they need playing.