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SANTA CLARA — Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is out at least the 49ers’ first three games, after they reconsidered putting him on injured reserve Saturday.
After ruling him out of Sunday’s opener some 48 hours before kickoff, coach Kyle Shanahan shot down the IR option Friday by saying Samuel’s recovery from foot surgery was going well enough that he was a “day to day” option heading into next week.
So what changed?
The NFL, according to a 49ers spokesman, clarified that Samuel would be eligible to return after three games, even though he spent training camp on the non-football-injury list because of his left-foot fracture in unofficial workouts.
“We felt there was a chance,” Shanahan said Friday about Samuel’s Week 1 status. “To make a decision that would be three weeks (onto IR) when we thought he did have a chance, we didn’t think that would be very smart. We’ll see how next week goes.”
Next week, the 49ers embark on an East Coast doubleheader against the Jets and Giants, with a layover in West Virginia between those games.
The 49ers’ Week 4 game, when Samuel could return at his earliest, will be on Sunday night, Oct. 4, against the Philadelphia Eagles at Levi’s Stadium.
Samuel has not been seen on the practice field the past three days. He showed no hindrance the previous month doing conditioning work with trainers on the side.
— Center Hronnis Grasu and cornerback Dontae Johnson were promoted off the practice squad. Grasu’s addition could signal that Ben Garland (questionable; ankle) might not play and thus either Grasu or more likely Daniel Brunskill starts at center.Related Articles
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Source:: The Mercury News – Sports
