49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to miss a couple weeks with a calf injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan said.
More: 49ers WR Deebo Samuel strained his calf Sunday and is expected to miss a couple weeks, per HC Kyle Shanahan.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2024
Saumel has had a very strong start to his season, catching 13 passes for 164 yards. He has also rushed 10 times over the two games, and took one in for a touchdown.
The 49ers have relied on Samuel for a lot over the last few years, and were looking to expand his role even more. Last season, Samuel had 60 catches for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 225 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He gives the 49ers a workload that is a luxury that not a lot of other teams have.
While Samuel is out, Brandon Aiyuk will have to show his worth. Aiyuk signed a huge contract right before the season started, but has not played up to his standard so far. He has only hauled in six catches for 71 yards so far. Last year, Aiyuk caught 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
So the 49ers will be down both Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel for at least the next two weeks.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 16, 2024
They can no longer wait for Brandon Aiyuk to kick it into gear. Clock has run out on that
George Kittle and Jauan Jennings are already off to good starts this season, so even if Aiyuk can’t find his footing in the next few weeks, Purdy still has weapons all over the field.
The 49ers are also missing Chrsitian McCaffrey for the next few weeks, but that has not seemed to be too bad as Jordan Mason has filled in perfectly fine. Mason rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, and 100 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.
San Francisco is off to a 1-1 start, but they are not concerned at all. Even with the injuries they have, they are still going to be one of the biggest threats in the NFL. The 49ers have a huge matchup against the Rams next week, but should be able to get it done as the Rams are missing lots of talent early on in the season. If they do win, it will be a big divisional win that will give them confidence while they wait for their stars to get healthy again.
