The San Francisco 49ers are heading to their third consecutive NFC Championship Game after they took down the Green Bay Packers following a late touchdown from Christian McCaffrey and a late interception to seal the win.
The win was huge, but the 49ers lost a key player in the process to a shoulder injury: wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
The dynamic pass-catcher left with the injury and didn’t return, and now his status for the NFC title game against the Detroit Lions is up in the air after ESPN’s Adam Schefter gave Samuel a “50-50” chance to play this coming Sunday, per “First Take.”
Deebo is “50-50” to play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, a source told @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/J74nLosxQ0
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 22, 2024
Those odds aren’t great, but are better than zero for a 49ers team looking to make its first Super Bowl appearance since 2019.
Samuel has been one of the key cogs in San Francisco’s offense for the past five seasons and the team went 0-2 earlier this season when he missed time with a hairline fracture in his shoulder in Week 6.
The 49ers have a lot of offensive firepower between McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but Samuel is one of the most electric players in the game and gives San Francisco a different edge on offense.
Backup wide receiver Jauan Jennings stepped up in the divisional round with some big catches, but he doesn’t provide the same level of play that Samuel does.
His availability will be the biggest thing to watch ahead of the NFC title game against the Lions, and the 49ers will have to shake up their offense with quarterback Brock Purdy if Samuel can’t suit up.
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