Although the San Francisco 49ers have a 12-4 record and a nine-game winning streak, they haven’t exactly escaped the injury bug.
In addition to losing their first and second-string quarterbacks in Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to ankle and foot injuries, respectively, star wide receiver Deebo Samuel has missed their last three games with knee and ankle injuries, while running back Elijah Mitchell has been out since spraining his MCL in Week 12.
But the good news is that Samuel, after being a limited participant in practice last week, is now a full participant this week, while they plan to open Mitchell’s practice window so he, too, can return to the field.
It is too early to say if either one will play in Week 18’s contest versus the Arizona Cardinals, but perhaps it is reasonable to expect at least one of them to be ready for the team’s playoff opener.
San Francisco may not need either player to suit up in order to beat a non-playoff-bound Cards team, but it will need both of them to be healthy and productive if it is to have a great shot at winning its sixth Super Bowl.
Samuel’s numbers are down this season compared to his All-Pro 2021 campaign, but he is still a versatile weapon in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
With the talented, skilled and poised Brock Purdy now at quarterback, perhaps he can maximize Samuel’s skills, especially when it comes to finding him deep downfield.
Mitchell can help the Niners by reducing Christian McCaffrey‘s workload a bit while also giving them a different look in the backfield.
McCaffrey himself is dealing with a sprained ankle, and he is currently considered day-to-day.
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