Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a chance to return to the field sooner than expected after his scary injury in Sunday's win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, Samuel suffered an MCL sprain in his knee as well as an ankle sprain, but the team expects him to be back at some point during the regular season.

The 26-year-old has caught 54 passes for 612 yards and two touchdowns. He's also rushed for 228 yards and three more scores on 41 carries.

On Sunday, Samuel went down on a three-yard run with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter of his team's 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.

Deebo Samuel is down and slow to get up after the last play after what appears to be a knee injury. pic.twitter.com/uVPZJQ1VV6

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 11, 2022

Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area set the scene.

Deebo Samuel was up, but in a great deal of discomfort, he went back down to the ground. Now, the cart is coming out for him.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) December 11, 2022

He was carted off the field and greeted by many of his teammates as he left.

Prayers up for Deebo 🙏 pic.twitter.com/HMcAYSxocr

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 11, 2022

After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an update on Samuel's status, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network providing context.

#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that WR Deebo Samuel most likely suffered a high-ankle sprain. If the MRI confirms that thought, those are generally 4-6 week injuries. The first round of the playoffs is 5 weeks from today.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2022

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also cited a source who said the injury was nothing major.

Per source on Deebo Samuel: “Ankle twisted up but doesn’t seem to be major.”

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 12, 2022

In 2021, Samuel was one of the most productive players in all of football, amassing 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. His efforts helped guide the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.

The former South Carolina star parlayed that campaign into a three-year, $71.6 million contract extension with $58.1 million guaranteed.

Samuel hasn't been as productive in 2022, but he's still done plenty for the first-place 49ers and will be sorely missed. He was notably enjoying an excellent game with 64 total yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay before departing.

The 49ers don't have a shortage of options even without Samuel. Running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle could see more usage. Brandon Aiyuk should now be the team's No. 1 wide receiver while Samuel is out.

Wideouts Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud III could see more opportunities as well.

The ongoing courtship between the Dallas Cowboys and free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appears to have reached its end, as the Cowboys are reportedly bringing in a veteran pass-catcher.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater reported that Dallas reached an agreement with receiver T.Y. Hilton on Monday. The 33-year-old had played 10 years with the Indianapolis Colts and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

The addition of Hilton gives the Cowboys the extra offensive weapon they need as the playoffs approach. But where does that leave Beckham?

Here are the top remaining landing spots for the 30-year-old now that Dallas is likely no longer in the running.

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Buffalo Bills

Beckham undoubtedly wants to join a contender to win another championship as he did with the Los Angeles Rams last season in Super Bowl LVI. He should look no further than the top team in the AFC.

The Buffalo Bills remained in the No. 1 spot after Sunday's gritty win over the New York Jets. At 10-3, Buffalo is one of the favorites to compete for a Super Bowl title this year, but the team could still use another target for star quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bills have one of the best receivers in the league in Stefon Diggs, who leads the team with 94 receptions, 1,239 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, no other player on the team has 40 catches. Allen's over-reliance on Diggs can come back to haunt Buffalo if teams focus their defense on him.

Adding Beckham to the mix would help take some attention off Diggs. For what it's worth, last month Beckham named the Bills as one of four teams he'd be interested in joining after he completed his recovery from a torn ACL.

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San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL, earning their sixth straight victory on Sunday with a blowout over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, star receiver Deebo Samuel went down with an ankle injury during the game, putting his status in question for the next few weeks.

Beckham could be the perfect option to fill in for Samuel if he misses extended time. If both are able to be on the field together, it would add a different dimension to an already dynamic 49ers offense.

San Francisco lost veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for at least the remainder of the regular season because of a broken foot. Rookie signal-caller Brock Purdy proved he can steer the ship in the interim with a three-touchdown performance (two passing, one rushing) against the Bucs.

The 49ers could look to add Beckham as another reliable target for the seventh-round pick as they charge toward the postseason.

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Kansas City Chiefs

After losing star wide receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs have had to adjust on offense. However, perennial MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes still has the Chiefs on the cusp of a seventh straight AFC West title.

While Mahomes has been able to make up for Kansas City's deficiencies throughout the regular season, cracks have begun to show. In Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos, he threw three touchdown passes but also had a season-high three interceptions.

The Chiefs had been hoping free-agent additions JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be able to make up for the absence of Hill. They've combined to reach the end zone just four times through 13 games. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce remains the top target in Kansas City's passing attack.

Beckham would provide Mahomes with another option in the explosive Chiefs offense. He could also open things up for Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling. The three-time Pro Bowler would likely have a ton of fun playing in Andy Reid's scheme.

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New York Giants

It's never too late to come home. In Beckham's case, a reunion with the team he started his NFL career with would come at a perfect time.

At 7-5-1, the New York Giants are clinging to the seventh seed in the NFC and could surely use a boost as the regular season winds down. New York is 0-3-1 in its last four games and has dealt with injuries to multiple receivers throughout the year.

Darius Slayton leads the Giants with 608 receiving yards, while Richie James leads the team's wide receivers with 38 receptions and three touchdowns. Quarterback Daniel Jones ranks near the bottom of the league with 194.9 passing yards per game. Clearly, New York's air attack could use an injection of energy.

Beckham has appeared to be open to rejoining the Giants, and he had a "good dinner" with head coach Brian Daboll earlier this month. A return to New York would give him the opportunity to be a key contributor to the team's push for the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering a potentially devastating ankle injury. Hall of Famer and 49ers great Jerry Rice was not happy and expressed his displeasure on social media.

Rice took issue with San Francisco's play-calling, as he posted a photo of Samuel on Instagram with a caption that read, "Please stop running our skill player up the middle" and tagged Samuel and injured quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Samuel went down with the injury with just over five minutes left in the second quarter when he carried the ball up the middle and was bent awkwardly after being tackled, which caused him to fumble the ball. He was visibly upset after being placed on the cart, with teammates consoling him before he was taken to the locker room.

An emotional Deebo Samuel was carted off the field 💔

(via @NFLonFOX)pic.twitter.com/Wd3R3hl90v

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 11, 2022

Samuel's injury is yet another blow to the 49ers offense. After losing Lance to a broken ankle in Week 2, Garoppolo went down with a broken foot last week and will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

The versatile Samuel is used in a variety of ways within San Francisco's offense. Entering Sunday's game, he totaled 776 scrimmage yards with two receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He's not on the same pace that earned him first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, but he's still an integral part of the team's success.

Samuel's role played a factor in negotiations for his contract extension this offseason. After not receiving an offer he deemed suitable for a player of his caliber, he reportedly requested a trade. The 26-year-old eventually agreed to a three-year, $73.5 million extension with $58.1 million guaranteed.

The 49ers are in first place in the NFC West, but losing Samuel for any amount of time would be detrimental to the team's chances of maintaining its spot.

The San Francisco 49ers' offense was potentially dealt a major blow on Sunday, when superstar Deebo Samuel left with an ankle injury and was ruled out for the game.

The injury looked bad—Samuel had his leg trapped underneath a defender and his body was twisted the other way as he was tackled.

In the event his injury ends up being as significant as it looked, fantasy football players with Samuel rostered may be looking to find a replacement option for the looming playoff weeks.

Houston Texans wideout Chris Moore is going to be on a lot of fantasy radars after lighting up the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday to the tune of 10 receptions for 124 yards. In PPR formats, it was Moore's third double-digit performance in the past six weeks.

Part of his big performance, of course, were the absences of Nico Collins and Brandin Cooks. If both, or either, are out of action next week, Moore could be a fascinating sleeper to add.

If Zay Jones is still available in your league, he's an even safer bet than Moore. Jones has now posted 20 or more fantasy points in two of the past three weeks, has exceeded 20 points three times in total and has notched double-digit outlays six times.

Trevor Lawrence is slowly coming into his own, and Jones appears to be one of the beneficiaries as the season progresses.

Donovan Peoples-Jones is an interesting option after catching eight passes for 114 yards on Sunday, his ninth double-digit point total of the season and the seventh time in his past eight games that he's scored double-digit points for fantasy owners.

Peoples-Jones has a moderate upside given the presence of Amari Cooper, but he's quietly offered some consistent production this season.

Finally, consider Richie James. The New York Giants have basically no good receivers, and James has posted double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats in three of the past four weeks. It's risky given that the New York passing game doesn't inspire much confidence, but James has seemed to carve out a role for himself.

No matter who you add, they won't replace Samuel. Few players can. But you can at least potentially tread some water at the position.

San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel exited Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter and was ultimately ruled out with an ankle injury.

Samuel's leg got twisted awkwardly on a tackle and he was slow to get up before eventually being carted off the field.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that Samuel "most likely" suffered a high ankle sprain, per The Athletic's Matt Barrows.

Deebo Samuel is down and slow to get up after the last play after what appears to be a knee injury. pic.twitter.com/uVPZJQ1VV6

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 11, 2022

The only time Samuel has missed this season came in a Week 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams with a hamstring injury that he suffered in a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Through San Francisco's first seven games, Samuel had been one of the team's best players. He caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 138 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries.

He entered Sunday's game having caught 50 passes for 569 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 207 yards and two scores.

The 2019 second-round pick has been mostly durable through his four-year NFL career. However, he appeared in just seven games during the 2020 season because of two separate hamstring injuries and a foot ailment.

When fully healthy, Samuel is one of the most effective players on the field for San Francisco. His best season came in 2021 when he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games, in addition to rushing for 365 yards and eight scores.

When the South Carolina product is sidelined, the 49ers have enough talent to make up for his loss, including Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.

The 49ers entered Sunday's game with an 8-4 record. They'll need Samuel fully healthy for a push for the playoffs.

With plenty of time left before the trade deadline expires in most fantasy football leagues, it might be a great time to sell high on the San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk has been the top performer in a Niners passing offense that's unsurprisingly in the middle of the pack with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm.

George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, on the other hand, could be great buy-low candidates relative to their profiles.

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Deebo Samuel

Samuel has seen his production decline. Through seven games, he has 32 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns while running for 138 yards and one score. His yards per touch have fallen from 13.0 in 2021 to a career-low 9.4.

Even if San Francisco planned to use Samuel more traditionally as a pass-catcher, the hope was that he'd at least replicate 1,405 yards and six touchdown receptions he had in 2021.

Instead, he's not only providing less of a return on the ground but also failing to keep pace with his pass-catching numbers.

Because of that, fantasy managers with the 2021 All-Pro might as well keep him on their squad. You'll probably struggle to get a trade package that meaningfully improves your roster. At the very least, wait and see how he looks once he's back from his hamstring injury.

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George Kittle

Kittle has caught 28 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns. His 53.2 receiving yards per game are on pace to be his lowest since 2017.

This is continuing a general trend for the star tight end, who has yet to match the 1,377 receiving yards during his 2018 breakout campaign. The fact he missed the start of the regular season also heightened concerns about how much his injuries have piled up.

Maybe another fantasy manager focuses on name recognition alone and expects to be getting the George Kittle of two or three seasons ago. Otherwise, you might as well stand pat and count on things improving slightly.

Because aside from elite options Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, the gap between the top performing tight ends and those in the fringe TE1 tier isn't that large.

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Brandon Aiyuk

Aiyuk is leading the team with 38 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns. He has been particularly effective in recent weeks, getting 80-plus receiving yards in each of his last three games and hauling in three touchdown passes during that span.

This could be the long-awaited breakthrough for the 2020 first-round pick. He might have failed to meet expectations in his first two years, but the potential was still there as he headed into 2022.

As long as Garoppolo remains the quarterback, Aiyuk's value may not be any higher than it is now. If you can trade the 24-year-old and address another area of your squad, then it's an idea worth considering.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has never been shy about making splash moves. Last year, Lynch mortgaged the franchise's future to trade up in the 2021 draft and select quarterback Trey Lance.

Lynch struck again recently, sending a package of picks to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for running back Christian McCaffrey.

After playing sparingly in his Niners debut last week, McCaffrey saw his first extensive action with his new team Sunday against the Rams.

One game is too small a sample size to pass final judgment on San Francisco's acquisition, but if San Francisco's beatdown in Los Angeles was any indication, trading for McCaffrey was a brilliant move—one that might just make the 49ers the biggest threat to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC.

And once the Niners get Deebo Samuel back on the field, he and McCaffrey will be nightmare fuel for defensive coordinators across the league.

Upon his arrival in the Bay Area, McCaffrey told reporters that he was eager to play in Kyle Shanahan's RB-friendly offense.

"I don't know if there's anyone better at putting guys in positions to have success and tailor into what they're good at," McCaffrey said.

"For me, I've watched him do some unbelievable things with some great running backs and even the running backs in the room right now. I'm just excited to learn from them and hear how coach Shanahan coaches not just the running back position, but every single position on the field. It's something you kind of hear legends about."

The admiration society is most assuredly mutual. Shanahan raved about what McCaffrey brought to the table in San Francisco as well.

"I don't think there's anything he can't do, whether it's in the pass game, the run game, blocking," Shanahan said. "I think he's a very talented player. Just watching how he plays, he's a very smart player. He always gets to the right hole, is very smooth, and I've seen that at every level he's played in."

McCaffrey didn't have a huge impact in last week's loss to the Chiefs, but that was expected. There's only so much you can learn about a scheme in a couple of days.

But after getting a full week of practices in, Sunday's big NFC West showdown was a chance for McCaffrey to really show his team what he could do. For the talking to stop and the walking to start. And with Samuel sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Niners needed their new star to step up, answer the call and be a focal point of the offense.

Consider that call answered.

You name it, McCaffrey did it against the Rams. He carried the ball 18 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. He caught eight passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He even threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk.

Christian McCaffrey's first TD as a 49er is a ... 34-yard PASSING touchdown.pic.twitter.com/tnQYKZU25f

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 30, 2022

Show-off.

All told, that's 26 touches for 149 yards and two scores as a runner and receiver and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. It's the first time since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 that a player has run for a score, caught a touchdown pass and thrown one in the same game.

Other than that, he was just OK.

Mind you, this was in a game that was similar to McCaffrey's time in Carolina. The Rams knew he was going to get the ball a lot. But because he lined up all over the place, there was precious little they could do about it. It's hard to key on a guy that lines up all over the formation.

Now imagine the dilemma the Los Angeles Chargers will have in two weeks when they have to try to stop two of them.

Samuel and McCaffrey are great players, to be sure. But one of the things that makes them great is their ability to line up in the backfield, in the slot or even split out wide.

As Brian Renick said on the 49ers Webzone: No Huddle podcast (h/t Ryan Gilbert of Audacy), having the versatile duo on the field together will be awfully hard for opponents to defend.

"I get excited thinking about things like what's it going to look like if you have Deebo and Christian McCaffrey lined up in the backfield at the same time. What are defenses going to do? They got to be in base defense, right? You got two running backs on the field.

"So now you've got Deebo and Christian McCaffrey who can, either one of them can take a handoff or can go out on the route from the backfield. All of a sudden Kyle Shanahan unlocks scheme versatility, which he wasn't able to do with the injuries that he currently has to deal with."

It's a Kobayashi Maru—a no-win situation. If you stay in base defense to defend the run, McCaffrey and Samuel will run circles around the linebackers or safeties tasked with covering them.

Never mind that the defensive backs covering wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle will be getting exactly zero help. Someone's going to be wide open with regularity.

Go to the nickel or dime in an effort to shore up the pass coverage and prevent death by a thousand cuts, and McCaffrey and Samuel will gash you on the ground. McCaffrey has averaged 4.6 yards per carry as a rusher for his career. Samuel averaged a gaudy 6.2 yards per carry during his breakout 2021 season.

The 49ers will bludgeon you into goo until you commit to stopping the run, and then they will make you pay for that commitment over the top.

You don't see many split backfields or "pro set" formations in 2022. But the 49ers might be the exception to that rule because lining McCaffrey and Samuel up in tandem in the backfield would be a nightmare to scheme against.

That's hardly the end of the problems for opponents, either. With veteran tackle Trent Williams back, the 49ers' offensive line goes from a potential weakness to a strength. San Francisco ranked first in the NFC in total defense and sixth in the conference in scoring defense entering Week 8.

The team's biggest weakness may be quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but when Garoppolo plays a clean game like he did against the Rams, the Niners are going to be hard to beat.

This isn't to say that McCaffrey's arrival ensures the Niners a spot in Super Bowl LVII. There are no guarantees in the NFL, and it's a long way to February.

But with due respect to the surprising Seattle Seahawks, McCaffrey's arrival does make the Niners the team to beat in the NFC West. It gives San Francisco an offense that's potentially as lethal as the defense is stout and offers the 49ers a level of balance that only the Philadelphia Eagles can match in the conference.

And in pairing McCaffrey and Samuel, the 49ers have single-handedly caused a 492 percent spike in Pepto Bismol consumption among defensive coordinators and a lot of sleepless nights in the near future as they try in vain to devise a way to stop them.