Shanahan says 49ers WR Deebo Samuel to miss time with hamstring injury

Why Deebo Samuel is trending

People are searching this because Kyle Shanahan told reporters Monday that Deebo Samuel Sr. is going to be out for a while. Samuel hurt his right hamstring in the 49ers' 32-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks, and after more testing on Monday, Shanahan said the injury "got him pretty good" and that Samuel is "going to miss some time."

What's known: Samuel will sit out at least the next couple of games. What's not known: an exact return date. Shanahan did not give one, only that the team expects him out past the short term and "likely a bit longer" than a couple of games. What happens next is the 49ers rotating their remaining healthy receivers while Samuel rehabs, starting with this coming Monday night against the Washington Commanders.

How it happened

Samuel had been favoring his right leg earlier in Sunday's game but kept playing. He went down for good late in the third quarter after Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas brought him down near the left sideline. Samuel hit the ground, lost the ball while trying to secure it, and could not get up right away. San Francisco's medical staff came out to check on him, and he eventually made his way to the sideline on his own power but did not return. The 49ers ruled him out not long after.

A receiver room already stretched thin

Samuel's injury is the latest hit to a 49ers receiver group that was already down bodies. Ricky Pearsall (knee), De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) and Demarcus Robinson (ankle) are all on injured reserve, and Christian Kirk (calf) is on IR as well, though Shanahan said he's not likely to practice this week even though he's eligible. Robinson is the closest to coming back. He's been doing conditioning work on a side field, but he can't start his 21-day practice window until after next Monday's game against Washington.

That leaves Mike Evans, Jordan Watkins, Brandin Cooks and Jacob Cowing as the receivers San Francisco has available on the active roster, with Will Pauling, Xavier Smith and Malik Turner on the practice squad as reinforcements. Shanahan sounded unbothered by the math. "I think we have enough," he said, pointing to the practice squad depth as a resource the team can lean on.

Linebacker depth takes a hit too

Samuel wasn't the only injury out of Sunday's game. Backup linebacker Garret Wallow also suffered a hamstring injury, which Shanahan called "not quite as bad" as Samuel's, but still enough to keep Wallow out "at least a couple of weeks." That comes as starting weakside linebacker Dre Greenlaw serves a one-game suspension, so the 49ers will rely on rookie Jaden Dugger with Luke Gifford and Tatum Bethune for depth, and could call up practice-squad linebacker Jalen Graham if Greenlaw's appeal doesn't go through before the Washington game.

Facts per ESPN, ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.