Deebo Samuel was forced to exit early as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 on Sunday, extending their lead at the top of the NFC West.
The Niners receiver incurred an injury on his left ankle during the second quarter of the 49ers’ resounding victory and was unable to return to the field for the remainder of the game. Following the game, coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Samuel likely suffered from a high ankle injury and that no breaks in the ankle were detected.
Despite the early loss of Samuel, the Niners did well to continue to take charge of the game, with rookie Brock Purdy delivering an impactful performance. The 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy is the first final draft pick to both start and win an NFL game at quarterback. He finished the game 16-of-21 for 185 yards with two touchdowns.
“He did an awesome job,” Shanahan said of Purdy’s performance. “I think all you guys saw that. He made a ton of plays. He made the plays that were there. He made a lot of plays that weren’t there. He did a great job in the pocket. … It’s really impressive how he played.”
