San Franciscco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that star receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is currently hospitalized with pneumonia and fluid in his lungs after trying to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
There is currently no timetable for Samuel’s return, as the team focuses on a full recovery.
Samuel was expected to play in the Super Bowl LVIII rematch against the Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, but he was spotted on the sidelines with an oxygen mask around his face as he dealt with an illness.
He was also spotted in some sort of pain during warmups, though he had his pads and jersey on when he was on the sidelines ready to go before the oxygen mask was worn.
Then, after standing on the sideline, Samuel jogged back into the locker room and was ultimately out the rest of the game, wearing street clothes on the sideline with a towel wrapped around his neck.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Samuel woke up on Sunday not feeling well, though he tried to push himself to play with his team.
FANS REACT TO CHIEFS PLAYER THROWING PUNCH AND REMAINING IN GAME DESPITE 49ERS STAR BEING EJECTED FOR IT
But things quickly developed into Samuel needing to enter the hospital for treatment where, after a battery of tests, he was found to be dealing with pneumonia and those fluids in his lungs.
This situation with Samuel adds to a plethora of injury woes for the 49ers’ offense this year, as Brandon Aiyuk, the receiver San Francisco finally extended after a long rift this offseason in the contract department, is out the rest of the season after suffering multiple torn right knee ligaments following a hit by the Chiefs.
And while the Christian McCaffrey Achilles tendinitis saga continues for San Fran, tight end George Kittle is also considered day-to-day with a sprained foot.
Considering the injury situation, the 49ers would love to get Samuel, a dynamic offensive weapon that can play both receiver and running back, healthy sooner rather than later.
Samuel is in his sixth season with the 49ers, and though McCaffrey has usually gotten the spotlight since being traded by the Carolina Panthers out to the Bay Area, Samuel has been an indispensable piece for Shanahan’s offense given his ability to do just about anything he’s asked.
Samuel has racked up 335 receiving yards and 51 rushing yards with two total touchdowns through his first six games this season. He’s coming off a campaign where he had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage with 12 total touchdowns to help the 49ers reach the Super Bowl.
The 49ers have a big Sunday night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys coming up next week, where they’re hoping to get back to .500 as they own a 3-4 record following the loss to Kansas City.
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