Latest Deebo Samuel injury update will have 49ers fans dancing

After suffering a shoulder injury in last week’s Divisional Round victory over the Green Bay Packers, questions about San Francisco 49ers All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s status for the upcoming NFC Championship Game arose. 

However, 49ers fans can breathe a sigh of relief following Samuel’s latest injury update:

Deebo Samuel set to return for 49ers vs. Lions

Per Omar Ruiz of NFL Network, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Samuel is not on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s clash against the Detroit Lions and will be a “full go today” in practice. 

San Francisco will have their star wideout back in the nick of time for their win-or-go-home contest against the Lions with a trip to Super Bowl LVIII on the line, which is a massive boost for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

The splits with and without Samuel in the lineup are noteworthy for Purdy, who has struggled throughout his young NFL career sans his top receiver. In 20 games with Samuel, Purdy has a passer rating of 115.2. The 49ers signal-caller’s pass rating drops to 99.1 in the five games without him.

Deebo Samuel’s return galvanized the locker room

“Anytime he’s out there, he brings an extra set of juice that it’s hard to mimic without him,” 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey told ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. 

All-Pro tight end George Kittle also expressed how happy he is to welcome Samuel back into the mix after a brief absence last week: “Just excited for him to be out there. He’s such a huge part of our offense and everything that we do.

Samuel and the rest of the 49ers pass-catchers will look to capitalize against a porous Lions secondary and defensive unit that allowed the second-most passing yards per game in 2023 (256.9).

When do the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions play?

The game between the 49ers and Lions at Levi’s Stadium will kick off on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the winner advancing to play against whoever emerges victorious in the AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.