49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday told reporters wide receiver Deebo Samuel would be a non-participant in practice, but he wasn’t completely absent from the field. Matt Barrows of the Athletic noted that Samuel was in a jersey and working on a side field during Wednesday’s session.
That’s not necessarily a sign that Samuel will play vs. Detroit, but it’s more positive than if he was completely inactive. Combining this with Shanahan saying that Samuel is feeling better after hurting his shoulder in Saturday’s divisional playoff game paints a far more positive picture than the one we saw Saturday of Samuel on the sideline in street clothes.
Thursday and Friday will give us better indicators of Samuel’s progress. For now though work on a side field is a plus for San Francisco and their star WR’s availability for the NFC championship.
