Following Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending knee injury, the 49ers’ wide receiver room took another hit when Deebo Samuel was hospitalized with pneumonia Sunday.
After Samuel practiced on Thursday, coach Kyle Shanahan provided an update on the All-Pro wide receiver’s status ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.
“Well the fact he was able to be out there and attempt some stuff, to me is good news,” Shanahan told KNBR’s Tom Tolbert and Adam Copeland. “I remember having pneumonia in my early twenties and I did not feel like I could even walk down stairs about a week later.
“So, there’s all different types of levels of it. He’s doing much better than, what I’ve learned is pneumonias can be a little bit different. He had kind of a little bit of an unusual one, but he’s doing good enough that he was able to practice today, and hopefully that will continue getting better. And hopefully he’ll be able to help us out on Sunday.”
Deebo’s putting in work at practice 💪 pic.twitter.com/liDg76Gygt
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 24, 2024
San Francisco also was without wide receiver Jauan Jennings during the 49ers’ Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as the 27-year-old deals with a lingering hip injury.
While Shanahan revealed he doesn’t expect Jennings to land on injured reserve, the 49ers’ coach did say it will be a longshot for the veteran wide receiver to suit up on Sunday against the Cowboys.
“No, he’s not an IR candidate,” Shanahan told Tolbert and Copeland. “Expect to get him back after the bye week. Haven’t ruled him out yet for this week, but definitely would say he’s doubtful. I’d be surprised if he won’t be back after the bye week.”
Despite missing a game, Jennings leads all 49ers players with 404 receiving yards this season, offering invaluable insurance as a dependable player in clutch situations when on the field.
As San Francisco prepares to face Dallas in a critical game, the 49ers potentially could be without their top three wide receivers, opening up opportunities for younger players like rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing.
