San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was inactive in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams with a calf strain injury.
Samuel suffered the injury in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Initially, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Samuel was going to miss the next couple of games because of it. However, it appears Samuel will miss one game and not two.
He is listed as “questionable” for Week 4 against the New England Patriots. That status typically means a player will be active for the upcoming game, so expect Samuel to play barring a last-minute scratch like the 49ers did with Christian McCaffrey in Week 1. This shows that Samuel has made an amazing recovery to return to action for the 49ers. Or did he?
Is Samuel rushing back from injury? That is certainly a possibility. The 49ers seemed so sure that Samuel would be out for a couple of games. A calf strain is a tricky injury after all. Taking a cautious route is always best, especially since they didn’t do so with McCaffrey and his initial calf strain.
I think Samuel is rushing himself back. Losing to the Rams like the 49ers did in devastating fashion is demoralizing. The 49ers should be 2-1 right now and not 1-2. Much like how it was throughout training camp, the atmosphere and vibes surrounding the 49ers feel foggy.
Samuel is no fool. He is a leader of the team and can recognize that the team will struggle if he continues to be out. So, rather than continuing to stay on the initial resting regiment, he could be forcing himself to play through his injury and tough it out.
Had the 49ers defeated the Rams like they were supposed to, then Samuel probably remains out. But the state of the 49ers is not the greatest right now. They don’t need Samuel to defeat the lowly Patriots, but it isn’t a risk worth willing to take.
I’d imagine Samuel will be on a snap count so he doesn’t overwork himself. Using him as a decoy feels like the game plan here so that the 49ers don’t put that much on his plate. Of course, Samuel could very well be healthy. He could be close to if not 100 percent.
But the 49ers haven’t proven to be a trustworthy team when it comes to their players’ health. How Samuel is used against the Patriots will reveal just how healthy he is.
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