SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Will Deebo Samuel play in the NFC Championship game? That's the question on every San Francisco 49ers fan's mind ahead of the Sunday matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Deebo Samuel was injured last week during the Divisional Round matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Samuel left the field during the first half after a shoulder injury and returned to the sidelines out of uniform once it was clear he wasn't going to be able to get back in the game.
"It wasn't broken, so that was a really good sign," Head Coach Kyle Shanahan said in a conference call Monday. "It's still hurting too much for us to have any idea on how it's going to heal up this week. We have to be patient, see how he feels on Wednesday and based on his improvement it will give us a better idea whether he has a chance for the game or not."
Samuel was injured earlier in the season when he got a hairline fracture against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6, according to the 49ers. He got back on the field in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Samuel returned to practice Thursday as a "limited participant," the 49ers said. He's the only one working through an injury on the 49ers going into Sunday's game. According to the NFL, Shanahan told reporters Thursday Samuel is trending in the right direction.
During the regular season this year, Samuel has 60 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. In the postseason so far, Samuel has two receptions for 24 yards.
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Watch more on ABC10 | 49ers vs. Lions: What to know about the NFC Championship game