Star wide receiver Deebo Samuel will miss a couple weeks due to a calf strain, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced on a conference call with reporters Monday, dealing another big blow to San Francisco's offense.
Samuel sustained the injury late in the 49ers' 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
"He told me he thinks he did it when he caught -- I think it was like, the third-to-last play," Shanahan told reporters. "They had a blitz down in the red zone; he caught the hot route breaking in. He says he thinks he did it on that play. There was only like, two or three plays after that play, though."
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Samuel was the 49ers' leading receiver in the loss to the Vikings, finishing with eight catches for 110 yards. He had five receptions for 54 yards and eight rushing attempts for 23 yards and one touchdown in San Francisco's Week 1 win over the New York Jets last Monday.
The 49ers now will have to navigate the next few weeks with Samuel and 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, who was placed on injured reserve Saturday because of calf tightness and Achilles tendinitis.
McCaffrey is expected to miss at least the next three games, but reportedly could miss even more time than that.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle will be relied upon heavily to pick up the slack in the receiving game with Samuel out.
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If Samuel misses two weeks, he won't play against the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday or the New England Patriots on Sept. 29 at Levi's Stadium. If he is forced to sit out another game beyond that, he will miss the Oct. 6 home game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Samuel and McCaffrey are so vital to what Shanahan and the 49ers want to do on offense, so the goal will be tread water until both players are healthy and ready to return.
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