Deebo Samuel is listed as questionable for the 49ers' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but the wide receiver is doing everything possible to get ready to play.
“Feeling kind of good,” Samuel said. “Been working all week long. Playing it day-by-day and that’s what we will continue to do until Sunday.”
Jimmy Garoppolo’s No. 1 target missed the 49ers' Week 13 matchup in Seattle after suffering a groin injury in Week 12. Samuel shared that while watching the game by himself at home, he was screaming at the TV like everyone else.
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“It’s kind of frustrating being being injured, knowing that what you bring to the team,” Samuel said. “Watching the game - it was probably one of the craziest games I’ve ever watched just sitting at home. It was back and forth all game.”
Samuel would not reveal how close to 100 percent he is feeling and did not know what the plan would be for him at the 49ers' walkthrough on Saturday. The 25-year-old simply is trying to get healthy enough to not miss another game.
Samuel’s body language on the field when the injury happened was dramatic, appearing in pain, remaining on the field long enough to cause concern. The wide receiver shared that he has been in the situation before.
“It’s kind of similar to what I had in 2019 against the Rams,” Samuel said. “I missed a week and came back and played in the Washington game. It’s kind of something similar to that.”
San Francisco 49ers
Samuel actually missed the 49ers' 2019 Week 7 matchup in Washington and played the following week vs. Carolina. The rookie receiver caught all three of his targets for 19 yards and carried the pass twice for 29 yards and the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career.
In that same game, Samuel was on the field for 45 of the offense’s 65 snaps (69 percent). That, however, is not an estimate of what Samuel could play on Sunday in Cincinnati. The 49ers' medical staff will continue to be careful with all players returning from injury.
One thing that will not influence the decision on how much Samuel plays on Sunday is the cold weather. The receiver was adamant that the frigid winter temperature would not have an effect on his body.
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Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan will have to wait another week to have all of his top offensive playmakers on on the field at the same time. Samuel will join George Kittle, but rookie running back Elijah Mitchell (finger/rib/concussion) has already been ruled out. Samuel believes that all of his counterparts have the ability to make explosive plays and they all have taken their turns.
“Everyone we have is dangerous with the ball in their hands,” Samuel said. “It’s who ever is hot. That is the guy we are going to feed and just continue to feed off his energy.”
On Sunday, there’s a chance it’s Deebo.