The 49ers will be without Deebo Samuel for at least the next two games.
Kyle Shanahan revealed Saturday that Samuel had suffered a hairline fracture on his first play of the game against the Cleveland Browns and will be out at least through the team’s bye week in Week 9.
While he had X-Rays and MRIs earlier this week, Shanahan said that Samuel was still in pain. A CT scan revealed the hairline fracture.
It’s a major loss, but one that may only last until Week 10 until the Jacksonville Jaguars. It could, of course, go beyond that, but Shanahan intimated a week-to-week timeframe rather than month-to-month one.
Samuel, of course, isn’t the only star who’s out, or likely out, for Monday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Below is the game status report:
Doubtful
- Trent Williams (ankle)
Questionable
- LB Dre Greenlaw (hamstring)
- RB Christian McCaffrey (oblique)
Even with the Vikings reeling, a game potentially without Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and Dre Greenlaw would pose a massive challenge for the 49ers.
The bright side of that equation is that Elijah Mitchell is fully healthy, offering the potential to lessen the load on McCaffrey or share work between Mitchell and Jordan Mason if McCaffrey can’t go.
For the Vikings, it’s a shorter list:
Out
- G Ezra Cleveland (foot)
Questionable
- CB Akayleb Evans (oblique)
- WR Jalen Nailor (hamstring)
The late Monday start time gives both teams an extra day and extra hours to recover, but it appears the 49ers will likely be leaning on Jaylon Moore at left tackle and a mix of Ray-Ray McCloud and Ronnie Bell (along with a likely veteran practice squad activation of Willie Snead or Chris Conley) to make up for Samuel’s absence.
