The 49ers may have their top wide receiver ready to go in Week 1. They are planning to activate Deebo Samuel from the non-football injury list ahead of the regular season, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.
This will make Samuel eligible to suit up against the Cardinals in Week 1. Samuel has been recovering from a fractured foot for multiple months.
The Jones fracture Samuel suffered in June put the early part of the season in question for the second-year wideout. Should San Francisco have Samuel back in action against Arizona, it will represent a significant win for the defending NFC champions — who have been beset with injuries at wide receiver this summer.
Samuel has not practiced fully yet but has made progress in recent weeks. He became one of the more successful rookie wideouts in recent memory, being a yards-after-catch maven during a 57-catch, 802-yard season.
I wouldn’t rush him back. He’ll be more valuable late in the season. If he ends up straining a lower leg muscle, which often happens when players are rushed back from this type of injury, he could end up missing substantially more time.
You a PT?
Serious question, no sarcasm intended.