The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver depth is in bad shape heading into a crucial Week 8 showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.
Brandon Aiyuk is on IR after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 7, and Jauan Jennings has been ruled out with a hip injury he sustained in Week 6.
Now Deebo Samuel’s status is in question after a bout with pneumonia knocked him out of the 49ers’ Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and landed him in the hospital.
Here’s the the latest on the 2021 All-Pro:
Deebo Samuel injury update
Samuel is officially questionable to play against the Cowboys on Sunday night. He was absent from Wednesday’s practice, but returned for limited sessions Thursday and Friday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel will be a true game-time decision since the nature of his illness will require him to see how he feels after a pre-game workout. Shanahan said Samuel’s health did improve during his week of practice.
How long will Deebo Samuel be out?
The long-term prognosis seems to be good for Samuel. He played just three snaps in Week 7 before leaving because of his illness. He had fluid in his lungs according to Shanahan, making it difficult for him to breathe. Samuel could play in Week 8, but even if he misses Sunday’s contest, the 49ers have a Bye in Week 9, giving him an entire week to recover.
San Francisco 49ers WR depth chart
If Samuel plays, he very easily slots in as the team’s No. 1 WR. If he doesn’t play, things could get dicey for the 49ers’ offense. Here is the depth chart behind Samuel going into Sunday’s game:
Ricky Pearsall
Chris Conley
Jacob Cowing
Ronnie Bell
Pearsall probably takes the WR1 snaps if Samuel is out, but the team would have to mix and match their receiving corps to maximize the production of that group. Conley is likely next in line as the WR2 because of his experience in the offense. He made a couple of big catches late last season for the 49ers as well, but they’ll lean on Cowing for some explosiveness the rest of the receiving corps doesn’t really have.
The 49ers also have internal options on their depth chart with Trent Taylor, Terique Owens and the recently re-signed Malik Turner.
Taylor has the most experience in the 49ers’ offense and has a ton of experience as a punt returner. Turner is probably the best special teams contributor out of that group from a coverage standpoint. Either way, neither would be significant contributors on offense for San Francisco.
