A pair of San Francisco standouts were injured in Sunday's win over Minnesota and will leave the 49ers a bit short-handed on Sunday and perhaps beyond.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that wide receiver Deebo Samuel (groin) and linebacker Fred Warner (hamstring) are each likely to miss Week 13's game against the host Seattle Seahawks and Samuel could also miss another game.
Shanahan said Warner was likely out for Sunday, while Samuel was expected to miss one to two weeks.
Samuel, who's been a dynamic force for the 49ers offense as a receiver and rusher, strained his groin, per Shanahan, against the Vikings and left the game in the second half. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier Monday that Samuel was set for an MRI and was expected to miss some time, but it wasn't considered a major injury.
Warner, one of the best off-the-ball linebackers in the NFL, sustained a hamstring injury Sunday that likewise ended his game prematurely.
A model of exceptional consistency since the 49ers drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Warner is set to miss the first game of his career. He has started the first 59 games of his San Francisco tenure and is coming off an All-Pro season. So far this year, Warner leads the Niners with 92 tackles and also has a pair of fumble recoveries and three passes defended.
Samuel has been a star this season, having garnered a pair of NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. A second-round selection in 2019, Samuel leads San Francisco with 56 catches, 1,006 receiving yards and five touchdown catches, but his five touchdown runs are also tops on the team.
It will make the Sunday game plan more difficult for Shanahan and Co., but should be seen as a sigh of relief that neither star player is prognosticated for an extended stay on the sideline.
