Getty Deebo Samuel crosses the goal line against the Vikings on Sunday, November 28.
Well, there’s good news and bad news for fans of the San Francisco 49ers and versatile weapon Deebo Samuel.
First the bad according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network: His groin injury he suffered during the Sunday, November 28 home 34-26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings will not only require an MRI exam, but he’s expected to miss some time.
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The good news? Rapoport says Samuel’s injury isn’t considered a major injury.
Rapoport released the Samuel update on the morning of Monday, November 29 on Twitter.
#49ers WR/offensive weapon Deebo Samuel will have an MRI on his groin today and while he’s expected to miss a little time, it’s not considered a major injury, source said. Good news going forward.
Reactions From Bay Area Media Followed
Again, there’s no real time consent on how long Samuel will be out. In all likelihood, he’ll be held out of practice when the 49ers return on Wednesday as groin injuries typically take one to two weeks tops to heal.
Per KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM radio personality John Lund, who co-hosts the “Papa and Lund” show with Greg Papa, this likely means Samuel won’t be in the lineup for the upcoming Seattle Seahawks road game this coming Sunday and the big road trip to AFC playoff hopeful the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Good news, not great news,” Lund said in his tweet. “’A little time’ going to Seattle (stinks, but still not a 49ers favorite place to play) and Cincy (rolled Steelers, solid team w/ good D, dynamic O), not optimal during playoff chase.”
David Lombardi of The Athletic was on hand at the postgame press conference when Samuel addressed reporters and his ailment.
Deebo Samuel says he’s “not too concerned” about his groin injury. MRI tomorrow morning
The 49ers beat reporter got the notion that this was not going to be an injury that heals overnight.
“This is the vibe that came from Deebo Samuel postgame yesterday,” Lombardi said in response to the Rapoport report. “The 49ers just need to take this one game at a time and find a way to continue producing. They’re not short on offensive talent to do so, especially against the subpar defenses coming up on the schedule.”
Who’s Left for the 49ers Offense?
The 49ers are now in a much better position to make a run at the postseason by winning their last four of five games. Samuel’s versatility as a physical running back to go along with his receiving prowess has been a big reason behind the surge.
Samuel averaged 11 yards a carry in the 8-point win over the Vikings. His rushing yard average per carry increased in the last three games.
Obviously, the 49ers are officially facing coming up with a game plan without Samuel. But the ‘Niners have proven they’re more than Samuel on offense.
Brandon Aiyuk has gone from potential first round bust to one who has ignited the deep game for the 49ers. In the win over the Vikes, Aiyuk averaged an astonishing 30.3 yards per catch. He’s caught 23 passes for 336 yards during S.F’s 4-1 improvement.
Elijah Mitchell came back from his injury and rumbled to 133 yards on 27 carries — averaging 4.9 yards a carry. He also added 5 catches for 35 yards.
And there’s George Kittle. In eight career games against the Seahawks, Kittle has posted three games of catching 6-7 passes according to Pro Football Reference.