On Monday, the San Francisco 49ers received some good news. Star wide receiver Deebo Samuel hadn't broken any bones in what looked to be a more severe injury on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They received some more good news when MRI results showed that the injury wasn't a high-ankle sprain, which likely would have kept him out an extended time.
Samuel will miss time, though. While he did sustain MCL and ankle sprains, the wideout is expected to return for the regular season.
The 49ers opted not to provide a timeline more specific than that. Although, San Francisco only has four games remaining on its schedule, so there must be some level of confidence that Samuel will recover quickly.
Samuel will undoubtedly miss Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks. They'll play the Washington Commanders nine days later, on Christmas Eve, and Samuel is unlikely to suit up for that one either.
However, according to Jordan Schultz of The Score, the wide receiver could return as soon as Week 17's road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Update: Following today's good news, a source says Deebo Samuel could return as soon as Week 17 vs the #Raiders.
After further evaluation, Samuel has an MCL sprain and ankle sprain, but not high-ankle. #49ers host the #AZCardinals Week 18 to closeout regular season. @theScore
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 13, 2022
We'll see if the 49ers opt to put their just-recovered receiver out on the field at Allegiant Stadium or wait until Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals—assuming there is anything worth playing for by then. The team could clinch the NFC West with a win against Seattle on Thursday night but is inching closer to the Minnesota Vikings and the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.