Deebo Samuel Injury Update: What We Know About 49ers WR's Status

The San Francisco 49ers escaped the Divisional Round with a 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in rainy Santa Clara on Saturday night despite being without star wide receiver Deebo Samuel for most of the game.

Samuel exited the NFC playoff matchup with a left shoulder injury. Quarterback Brock Purdy and the top-seeded 49ers still managed to mount a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the No. 7 seed Packers and advance to the franchise's third consecutive conference championship game and fourth in the last five seasons. But as the 49ers look ahead to their final obstacle before a potential Super Bowl appearance, they still don't know the severity of Samuel's injury or how long they will be without the Pro Bowler.

Here's what we know about Samuel's injury status as of Sunday morning.

What Happened to Samuel?

Samuel took a hard hit while fighting for extra yardage after catching a short pass over the middle from Purdy with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter. After the versatile wide receiver's forward progress had stopped and the whistle had been blown, he remained down on the field and required medical attention.

The 28-year-old was evaluated for a head injury, though was quickly cleared to return.

But Samuel's night on the field wouldn't last much longer. Despite returning for San Francisco's second offensive drive of the night, Samuel went to the locker room multiple times in the first half for further evaluation of his left shoulder. The 49ers initially listed him as questionable. By the time Samuel appeared on the sideline at the start of the second half, he was wearing street clothes. San Francisco officially ruled him out moments later.

"He tried to come back [but] couldn't do it," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said during his postgame press conference. "I know he did something similar versus Cleveland [in the regular season]. We'll see."

Samuel's Injury History This Season

Shanahan said during his postgame press conference that Samuel will undergo more tests on Sunday to determine the severity of his injury. And as the San Francisco coach alluded to, the 49ers are hoping he did not suffer the same shoulder injury, a hairline fracture, as he did in a Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Samuel missed two games while dealing with that first shoulder injury.

"[Losing Deebo] changes a lot of stuff, especially when you have wristbands and things like that and you've got to switch some guys around, which is always a challenge for those guys," Shanahan said. "It happened during the Cleveland game, and we didn't handle it that well. I thought we handled it better today than we did then, but it is a huge challenge. Deebo is obviously one of our better players, but he also is a unique guy that goes to some certain spots that you've got to be adjusting to all game."

49ers, Samuel Offensive Stats

The 49ers ranked third in points and second in offensive yards during a 12-5 regular season that earned San Fran the NFC's top seed.

Samuel's versatility was a big reason why.

Shanahan asks Samuel to line up just about everywhere on the field, and gets one of his top playmakers the football in a variety of capacities. The former second-round pick compiled 97 touches for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns (seven receiving and five rushing) across 15 regular-season games. And the former All-Pro's absence was felt whenever he was on the sideline.

San Francisco averaged 7.1 yards per play with Samuel on the field in the regular season, according to ESPN. That number dropped to 5.7 yards per play when he was not.

"Deebo is a fantastic football player," tight end George Kittle said postgame. "He's amazing, especially the things that we ask him to do. When Deebo is in there and you match him with Christian [McCaffrey] and switch them around and stuff like that, it makes our offense what I think is different than any other offense in the NFL. So, am I concerned about him not playing next week? Yeah. We're a different team without Deebo."

Samuel had two catches for 24 yards before permanently leaving the game. Without the top target available, Jauan Jennings stepped into his difficult-to-fill role while Ray-Ray McCloud III got more work inside at slot receiver. Jennings, who Kittle praised postgame, caught five passes for 61 yards.

To start the second half, Jennings even got a carry out of the backfield—like Samuel would—though Shanahan indicated that play happened because of a communication error.

Will Samuel Play in the NFC Championship Game?

The top-seeded 49ers will host either the No. 3 seed Detroit Lions or No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game on January 28, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Will Samuel be healthy enough to play in that game? Shanahan said it's too early to tell.

"I don't know yet," he said postgame when asked about Samuel's status.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sunday morning that there is optimism within the organization that Samuel will have a chance to play.