SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have reinforcements back on the field with Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell's return.
Samuel, the All-Pro wide receiver, has been sidelined since the Week 14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with ankle and knee injuries. Tight end George Kittle spoke Thursday about what Samuel does for the team, both on and off the field.
“Deebo, he’s and engine for us,” Kittle said. “He is a train on tracks that no one wants to get in the way of. I’m excited to see him with the ball again, because every time he touches the ball, he makes a guy miss, or truck-sticks a guy. He definitely sets a tone for our offense.”
Mitchell has appeared in just four contests this season after leading the 49ers in rushing yards in 2021. Knee injuries have kept the second-year pro off the field, but he has averaged 5.6 yards per carry when healthy.
Christian McCaffrey, who has been a little nicked up with his own ankle and knee injuries, is excited to see Mitchell back on the field. The All-Pro running back knows what the Louisiana product is capable of and how it can help keep the 49ers' offense moving.
“It’s been great,” McCaffrey said Thursday. “So good to have him back. He’s a resilient guy who had to come back twice this year. We are so fired up that he’s feeling good and ready to get back at it.”
Kittle also is excited to see Mitchell back on the field. The tight end is heavily involved in the run game and explained what Mitchell brings to the game.
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“Fantastic,” Kittle said. “Elijah is wonderful to block for. He gets downhill so fast. He makes it easy to block.”
Maybe the most important element about both skill players' return is how it potentially will allow both McCaffrey and Kittle to rotate off the field a little in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium.
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Samuel and Mitchell likely will see a reasonable amount of playing time, just to get back into the rhythm of playing again. Kittle believes that with the full complement of offensive options on the field -- including fullback Kyle Juszczyk and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk -- the 49ers will keep the momentum rolling.
Kittle noted that the energy Samuel brings, even at practice, is palpable.
“When [Deebo] is doing stuff like that, and Aiyuk is playing at the level he is, all of our skill guys are playing at the level we are, it’s just fun to bring him back into the mix,” Kittle said. “We were feeling ourselves today.”