The San Francisco 49ers continue to sweat on the fitness of Deebo Samuel ahead of Sunday night’s NFC Championship game against the Detroit Lions.
Wide receiver Samuel played just nine snaps before being forced off against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, as the top-seed Niners toiled to a narrow 24-21 win at Levi’s Stadium.
Samuel was clearly missed against the Packers and while the 49ers were relieved that tests earlier this week confirmed the playmaker had not broken his shoulder, his status for Sunday remains up in the air.
The 28-year-old sat out practice on Wednesday, with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan issuing an update in his subsequent press conference.
"He's feeling better,” he said. “It makes me feel better. His shoulder hurts."
Samuel’s versatility and ability to make plays in both the wide receiver and running back position makes him a unique threat in the NFL, with quarterback Brock Purdy quick to sing his team-mates praises when he faced the media on Wednesday.
"He's probably the best playmaker in this league," Purdy said. "You get the ball in his hands, he can do whatever he wants. He makes guys miss, breaks tackles, he's strong, he's tough, he's got grit, and we all feed off it. Deebo definitely gives us some juice and energy and momentum in our offense. If he's not playing, obviously that's tough on us, but we'll have guys to be able to play that can create that as well. If you're asking me, we'd love for Deebo to play."
Samuel hauled in 60 catches during the regular season for 892 yards, adding a further 225 yards rushing. He missed two games this season with another should problem, with the 49ers losing both of them, further underlining his importance to the team.
The 49ers host the Lions on Sunday evening, with the winners progressing to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas where they will match up the victors of the Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs tilt earlier that day.
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