The San Francisco 49ers received positive news this week when star wideout Deebo Samuel returned to practice in limited fashion on Wednesday.
Samuel had injured his MCL after his knee awkwardly bent during a tackle attempt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but fortunately avoided a serious injury, and could be back on the playing field sooner than later.
However, it won't be this weekend, as the 49ers ruled out Samuel ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, despite the wideout practicing on all three days of practice this week, erring on the side of caution.
Now, the question arises: should Samuel play in Week 18 or take an additional week of rest before the playoffs?
If Samuel is indeed 100% healthy come Week 18, there's value in playing him in a favorable matchup against the Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals to knock off any expected rust and bring him back to game shape in time for the playoffs, where his physicality will be vital for the 49ers' success.
Samuel's availability would also provide an additional opportunity for him and rookie quarterback Brock Purdy to strengthen their rapport, as the duo has played in just five quarters together.
Additionally, the 49ers will be playing for playoff seeding likely, as they currently are one game behind the Minnesota Vikings for the second seed and two games behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the NFC.
As for his current availability for Week 18, head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that Samuel will require more practice time before a final designation for the 49ers' final regular season game.
"We'll see how practice goes," Shanahan said. "I mean, he's got to do more practice than he did this week, but he's got a chance to [play in Week 18]."
Samuel would provide Purdy with another weapon near the line of scrimmage, acting essentially as a security blanket with his ability after the catch, widening the possibilities for the 49ers' offense.