San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel explained how hard he’s willing to push himself against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday after battling a shoulder injury this week.
Deebo Samuel battled an injury this week
Samuel missed much of the 49ers Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers due to the injury. Early this week, the 49ers were unsure if Samuel would be available to play in the NFC Championship Game. Samuel missed practice Wednesday but returned to practice Thursday. The 49ers took Samuel off the injury report on Friday, clearing the star receiver to play the Lions.
Many fans and pundits thought Samuel would play against the Lions, at least in a limited capacity. The 49ers could have activated Samuel to use as a decoy against the Lions’ defense.
The San Francisco 49ers are planning to use Samuel as normal
According to Brenna White with the NFL’s website, Samuel said he’s not planning on protecting his shoulder against the Lions. Samuel said he’d be willing to put his body on the line to give the 49ers another shot at a Super Bowl victory:
“A game like this, got to put everything on the line,” Samuel said. “We’ve been here four out of the last five years. Three years, we fell short, and then one year, we fell short in the Super Bowl. It’s kind of like, what is it gonna take? I feel like we’ve got all the things that we need in this building. … It’s all hands on deck, and we know what’s at stake.”
The 49ers could have a bigger game to keep Samuel healthy for
Samuel seems confident he won’t be used as a decoy against the Lions. The 49ers offense would like Samuel to be as close to normal as possible on Sunday. Quarterback Brock Purdy struggled to find passing targets for much of the Packers game when Samuel was on the sideline.
Getting to the Super Bowl is essential. And Samuel might be necessary to get the 49ers to Las Vegas in February. However, the 49ers also need Samuel available to play in the Super Bowl should they get there. The 49ers have to hope Samuel’s shoulder doesn’t suffer an injury setback on Sunday.
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