49ers injury update: Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner out vs. Seahawks
The 49ers will have to figure out a way to win in Seattle on Sunday without two of their star players. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday said wide receiver Deebo Samuel will miss one-to-two weeks with a groin strain, and linebacker Fred Warner will miss at least one game with a hamstring strain.
Samuel and Warner were both banged up in the second half of the 49ers’ Week 12 win over the Vikings. Samuel went down on his sixth carry of the day and spent several minutes on the field with trainers before walking off under his own power. He spent the rest of the game without a helmet standing on the sideline.
Warner’s injury was less obvious. He exited the game and stood with his helmet on the sideline. The team officially announced he’d be questionable to return, but he never got back in the game.
San Francisco’s offense has relied heavily on Samuel this season. He’s racked up 1,006 receiving yards, 203 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns. They’ll need to get creative over the next week or two in Seattle and then on the road in Cincinnati if Samuel does miss both games.
The defense actually hung in against Minnesota without Warner. LB Azeez Al-Shaair acquitted himself well in the middle of the front seven. He figures to line up in Warner’s Mike LB spot against the Seahawks, and Shanahan expressed some optimism Warner would be able to return vs. the Bengals. Sunday’s game at Seattle will be the first missed game for Warner in his career.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers held both players out a little longer and exercised some caution getting them back on the field. Muscle strains can be tricky and turn into longer-term issues if the team isn’t careful.
