Deebo Samuel had surgery on June 18 to repair a Jones fracture of his left foot. The second-year receiver hopes to be available for the San Francisco 49ers by the start of the regular season. It's an aggressive timeline considering how much the receiver plants and cuts on that foot.
Samuel's recovery, however, could eat into the start of the regular season, and Peter King of NBC Sports doesn't necessarily believe that would be the worst thing for the team.
The 49ers open the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals and then travel to the East Coast to face the New York Jets and New York Giants. While the Cardinals figure to be much-improved, San Francisco should be favored to win those games even without Samuel. That will allow the team to be patient with the receiver's recovery.
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The toughest part of San Francisco's schedule comes during the stretch before the team's bye week when it faces the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and then face the New Orleans Saints. Three of those five matchups will be on the road.
"San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel, one of the most dangerous players in the league, broke his foot, and he could be out till October (June 18)," wrote King within his Monday Football Morning in America column. "One of the five most impactful players in the Super Bowl, Samuel is a key element to everything Kyle Shanahan wants to do on offense. With someone who relies on speed and cutting as much as the cat-quick Samuel does, the 49ers cannot rush him back. Luckily for them, September isn't their most arduous stretch (Arizona, at Jets, at Giants); if he can get back by Oct. 18 for the Rams-Pats-'Hawks-Packers-Saints pre-bye gauntlet, that might be optimal."
Update: The portion about Samuel potentially being sidelined until October gained a lot of traction. However, it doesn't sound like King's statement is based on any new information but is just a conservative timeline. Nothing more. Samuel has clearly stated that he intends to be ready for the regular season.
Samuel is coming off a breakout rookie campaign that saw him record 57 catches for 802 yards with three receiving and three rushing touchdowns. Even more impressive is that 484 of those receiving yards came after the catch, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked fifth among all NFL receivers.
Once healthy, the versatile Samuel is expected to be a featured component in the 49ers offense for years to come.