49ers lose Deebo Samuel to shoulder injury against Packers - ESPN

Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterJan 21, 2024, 02:00 PM

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Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will miss the rest of Saturday night's NFC divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers because of a left shoulder injury.

After making a catch over the middle with 5:35 left in the opening quarter, Samuel was battling for more yards when multiple defenders converged on him. Samuel's forward progress was stopped, but he remained down on the field after the play and received medical attention.

Initially, Samuel was evaluated for a concussion, but he was quickly cleared to return. That didn't last long, though, as Samuel went to San Francisco's locker room multiple times for further testing on his shoulder.

He returned to the locker room at the two-minute warning, and when he came back out for the second half, he was wearing street clothes. Moments later, Samuel was officially ruled out.

For Samuel, it's the second shoulder injury he has dealt with this season. He landed awkwardly in a Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns and suffered a hairline fracture in his left shoulder that kept him out for two games and the bye. He returned in a Week 10 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Samuel had two catches for 24 yards versus the Pack before departing.

With Samuel out, Jauan Jennings stepped into his spot, with Ray-Ray McCloud working as the slot receiver in Jennings' usual position.

In the regular season, the 49ers averaged 7.1 yards per play with Samuel on the field. That number dropped to 5.7 yards per play when he was not on the field.