Deebo Samuel

The San Francisco 49ers announced wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffered a hamstring injury during the third quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl and was deemed questionable to return.

However, he returned on his team's next possession.

Samuel was cleared to play, but his health was a major focal point going into the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions after he suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of the Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers.

He also missed two games in the regular season after suffering a shoulder injury against the Cleveland Browns in October.

"Right when I figured out it wasn't the same thing as the Browns game, it was kind of a relief to know it wasn't a fracture," Samuel said of the injury he suffered against Green Bay, per Brenna White of NFL.com. "It was just like a deep bruise or whatever. But I'm talking about timeless hours in here, day in and day out, just to get where we're at right now."

His versatility is key to San Francisco's offense.

The South Carolina product finished with 892 receiving yards, 225 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns during the 2023 campaign for the NFC West champions. His presence also opens up routes for other receivers downfield because of the attention he draws.

If he isn't 100 percent, the 49ers can rely even more on Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Jauan Jennings in the aerial attack.

The San Francisco 49ers are preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, but star receiver Deebo Samuel couldn't help but take a shot at another NFC team.

While speaking to reporters at Super Bowl Opening Night, Samuel was asked about San Francisco's rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles. He said he doesn't consider it to be a rivalry because "I consider rivalries close games."

Samuel was referring to the 49ers' 42-19 blowout victory over the Eagles in Week 13 of this season. He recorded four catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, giving him bragging rights over Philadelphia until the two teams face each other again.

Per EJ Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Samuel was asked a follow-up question about the Eagles on Monday and he responded, "We ain't going to talk about that no more. That's over with."

Whether Samuel considers it a rivalry or not, the 49ers and the Eagles have developed some bad blood in recent seasons. After Philadelphia defeated San Francisco 31-7 in last year's NFC Championship Game, Samuel did not shy away from expressing his belief that things would've been different if 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and backup quarterback Josh Johnson hadn't suffered injuries.

Smith pointed out that Samuel called Eagles cornerback James Bradberry "trash" on the I Am Athlete podcast last February and said the conference championship game "wouldn't have been close" if Purdy hadn't injured his elbow. Samuel then took a jab at Bradberry after he drew a costly penalty in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII that helped the Chiefs defeat the Eagles.

The game between San Francisco and Philadelphia also featured a sideline scuffle between Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro and 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw that resulted in both of them being ejected.

Despite Samuel's belief, it's clear that the rivalry between the 49ers and the Eagles will continue to grow while both teams vie for supremacy in the NFC.

Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson learned the hard way Sunday that an NFL game doesn't end after two quarters.

The veteran defensive back appeared to wave goodbye after the Lions built a 20-7 lead in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners stormed back in the second half to win 34-31.

San Francisco wideout Deebo Samuel didn't forget about Gardner-Johnson's taunting.

Gardner-Johnson and Samuel crossed paths last year when the Philadelphia Eagles bested the 49ers in the NFC title game. Anticipating a potential rematch in the postseason, Gardner-Johnson issued some trash talk and said Samuel "can't run routes" while labeling him a running back.

Samuel responded on Up & Adams to basically say Gardner-Johnson was a hater.

To say the 2021 All-Pro got the last laugh Sunday would be an understatement.

Not only did San Francisco pull out the victory, but Samuel was also the team's leading receiver (six receptions and 89 yards). Gardner-Johnson, meanwhile, drew plenty of scorn for both his premature celebration and the blindside block he leveled on Samuel after Malcolm Rodriguez's interception in the second quarter.

The 49ers will host the Lions at some point during the 2024 regular season, but it remains to be seen whether it presents another opportunity for Samuel and Gardner-Johnson to reignite their feud. The latter is a free agent this offseason, so his return to Detroit is far from assured.

For now, Samuel certainly has the bragging rights.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel said he's "protecting nothing" in terms of his nagging shoulder as he prepares to suit up for Sunday's NFC title game against the Detroit Lions.

"A game like this, got to put everything on the line," he told reporters. "We've been here four out of the last five years. Three years, we fell short, and then one year, we fell short in the Super Bowl. It's kind of like, what is it gonna take? I feel like we've got all the things that we need in this building. … It's all hands on deck, and we know what's at stake."

Samuel suffered a left shoulder injury during his team's 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional round. It occurred when multiple Packers tackled him after he caught a pass with about five-and-a-half minutes left in the first quarter. He briefly re-entered the game later in the first half but returned in the second half in street clothes on the sideline.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Samuel did not suffer any breaks in his shoulder. Samuel notably missed two games earlier this season with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder.

On Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network dropped this update.

"He's still in a lot of pain, still struggling to get full movement in his shoulder," Rapoport said. "He did rehab right after the injury, like that night, so really started the road to recovery immediately."

Then Shanahan offered more bad news on Wednesday, telling reporters that he would not practice on that day and that his status for the conference championship was to-be-determined.

Samuel was practicing — albeit in a limited capacity — by Thursday and was a full participant Friday. That eased the concerns about his availability.

Needless to say, Samuel is an invaluable member of this team. He amassed 1,117 total yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2023 regular season. Samuel caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven scores and then added 225 yards and five touchdowns on 37 rushing attempts.

Without Samuel, the 49ers would turn to Jauan Jennings as their No. 2 wideout behind Brandon Aiyuk. The 6'3" Jennings snatched 19 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown this season, and he added five catches for 61 yards in the playoff game vs. Green Bay.

Deebo Samuel wasn't going to miss the opportunity to suit up in the NFC Championship Game.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver will play on Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium with a berth in the Super Bowl on the line despite nursing a shoulder injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday.

Shanahan added that Samuel was a "full go" in Friday's practice. When asked how he would protect himself during Sunday's game, Samuel told reporters he "ain't protecting nothing."

Samuel, who did not practice Wednesday and was limited on Thursday, injured his shoulder in the first quarter of a divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend

There was initial concern that the 28-year-old fractured his shoulder again after doing so during the regular season.

However, Shanahan told reporters Monday that Samuel did not fracture his shoulder, and 49ers fans were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"It wasn't broken, so that was a real good sign," Shanahan said at the time. "But it's still hurting too much for us to really have an idea how he will heal up this week. So, we've just got to be patient, see how he feels on Wednesday, and based on if it's improving it will give us a better idea whether he has a chance for the game or not."

Samuel missed two games during the regular season—losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 7 and 8—after suffering a microfracture in his shoulder in a 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.

The dual-threat still caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 225 yards and five scores on 37 carries.

In San Francisco's divisional-round win over Green Bay, Samuel caught two passes for 24 yards before exiting.

The South Carolina product is one of the most important pieces of the San Francisco offense alongside running back Christian McCaffrey, and the 49ers will need him to be near the top of his game on Sunday to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 campaign.