Out of the hospital bed and onto the field, Deebo Samuel will play against the Cowboys.
Samuel is officially active for Sunday night’s tilt despite beginning the week in the hospital with pneumonia-like symptoms and fluid in his lungs.
It’s been a remarkable recovery for Samuel, who attempted to play through an illness against the Chiefs in Week 7 but remained sidelined for all but three early snaps due to difficulty breathing.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that Samuel had been hospitalized. Samuel was discharged Tuesday and after sitting out Wednesday logged two limited practices to close out a tenuous week with a questionable designation.
The All-Pro, who Shanahan told reporters gained stamina throughout the week’s practice sessions, has played a pivotal, multi-faceted role for the underperforming 3-4 Niners -- especially with Christian McCaffrey still sidelined.
Samuel has collected 20 catches and 19 carries for 386 total yards and two scores.
He will luckily be accompanied on the field by tight end George Kittle, who was questionable with a foot injury but is also active and ready to add to a stellar campaign in which he’s collected a team-leading 34 receptions and five receiving touchdowns.
Rookie wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing will have a heavy burden placed on them to provide supplementary support in the wake of Brandon Aiyuk's torn ACL and Jauan Jennings’ continued absence due to a hip injury, while Jordan Mason is set to again lead the way on the ground.
It’s been a snakebitten season for the 49ers, but they have a chance to get back to .500 ahead of their bye, after which they can set their sights on a second-half push in a wide-open NFC West.
San Francisco and Dallas kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday.