Sources: Deebo avoids major ankle injury after being carted off vs. Bucs
The San Francisco 49ers are optimistic All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel avoided a major injury after he was carted off the field during Sunday's 35-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sources told Jordan Schultz, theScore's NFL insider.
Early indications are that #49ers WR Deebo Samuel did not suffer a serious injury, sources tell @theScore. I’m told the First-Team All-Pro WR badly twisted his ankle, but the team is optimistic he’s okay. Deebo will undergo more tests as a precaution.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 11, 2022
San Francisco initially announced that Samuel injured his knee but later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest with an ankle injury.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said postgame that Samuel "most likely" has a high ankle sprain, according to ESPN's Jeff Darlington.
Samuel sustained the injury after being tackled on a run in the second quarter. He featured heavily in the 49ers' offense early versus the Bucs before exiting, collecting 21 yards and one touchdown on four carries to go along with four catches for 43 yards.
Deebo Samuel got bent awkwardly and fumbled.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 11, 2022
Now question is about his health.pic.twitter.com/DbQjePfjpO
Samuel led San Francisco with 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns last season. The 26-year-old, who signed a three-year, $71.55-million extension in July, also topped the NFL with 18.2 yards per reception.
Injuries have been a major issue for the 49ers, who've lost multiple starters throughout the season, including quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
With Samuel sidelined, Christian McCaffrey came up big for San Francisco, racking up 153 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Aiyuk led the team in receiving with 57 yards and one score.
The game also marked Brock Purdy's first career start. The rookie quarterback, who was selected with the final pick of this year's draft, completed 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay. He also registered a rushing TD.