Wide receiver Deebo Samuel looked good enough in his rehab this week that 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expects to get him back on the practice field next week.
Whether Samuel is producing at Levi’s Stadium for the 49ers’ Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, however, remains to be seen.
Samuel, who is coming off an impressive rookie season, figures to be the 49ers' top wide receiver, when healthy. He currently is on injured reserve after undergoing surgery in June to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot.
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“I’m optimistic he’ll be back next week,” Shanahan said on Friday. “He had a real good week, last week hitting the rehab hard with all those guys.
“Just being able to watch him work out on the side, he looks real good running routes and he’s been able to do it without pain.”
Samuel traveled to West Virginia this week to continue his rehab while the 49ers practiced in the Eastern time zone between back-to-back games at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and Giants.
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Samuel was ineligible to participate in the first three games of the season after being placed on injured reserve the day before the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Shanahan said how Samuel looks and feels in practice next week will determine whether he is active for the Sunday night game against the Eagles.
“That’s stuff I don’t even think about ‘til I see how he looks on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,” Shanahan said.
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