The San Francisco 49ers saw wide receiver Deebo Samuel exit early in their Sunday loss to the Washington Football Team, and according to coach Kyle Shanahan, it appears that their key pass catcher will not return to the field until next season.
Samuel suffered the injury in the Niners’ first play from scrimmage in their Sunday game, coming up late after running a reverse play.
The injury was later diagnosed to be a hamstring strain, the second injury which will cause him to miss time in 2020. The first was a broken foot that he suffered in the preseason, which saw him miss San Francisco’s first four games.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan appeared hesitant to put an exact timeline on Samuel’s return, but with only three games left in the regular season and San Francisco virtually eliminated from playoff contention, it seems reasonable to expect that he will not return until 2021.
The loss is a big one for the 49ers, who lose their fourth leading receiver and one of the breakout stars of their 2019 squad which advanced to the Super Bowl.
At the end of the day, Samuel’s 2020 season is a pretty good metaphor for the Niners: a series of disappointments which have led to a mostly lost season.
