Deebo Samuel’s calf injury poses challenge for 49ers as roster decisions loom – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The 49ers will enter their Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams without Deebo Samuel, who suffered a calf injury late in San Francisco’s 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Now the 49ers will be without two of their biggest offensive playmakers for the foreseeable future with Samuel He joins Christian McCaffrey, who will miss at least the next three games after being placed on the injured reserve list on Saturday.

Coach Kyle Shanahan knows the game will be tough without the two stars.

“Always when you lose good players, it’s tough,” Shanahan said Monday on a conference call. “But it happens all over the league and it’s a big part of this league and a big part of the game.”

McCaffrey’s placement on the injured list, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, opened up a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster that Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have yet to fill. With injuries to both quarterback and wide receiver, the spot could be filled at either position.

“We’re not sure yet,” Shanahan said. “We’ll discuss it and see what the best options are. We usually get three backups a game and we keep getting three backups, so I’m not sure if we have to do that yet. It depends on what’s out there.”

“We usually use five players in a game and given the performance of our team and the way we play, we have been able to use six. I don’t think anything is really necessary but having this space gives us the luxury to choose where we need them most and we will see how we deal with that over the next few days.”

for now, Brooke Birdie You will need to rely on Brandon Eyockwho has been working to increase his role in the offense after a lengthy contract dispute. Aiyuk was on the field for 61 snaps (87 percent) Sunday, catching four of his five targets for 43 yards.

Purdy and Aiyuk will need to renew the chemistry they showed in 2023, bringing in Joan Jennings Tennessee’s point guard was crucial when the offense needed to move the chains.

Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell and newcomer Jacob Cowing round out the receivers room alongside veterans Trent Taylor and Terrace Marshall Jr., who are currently on the practice squad.

Ricky Pearsall, a promising receiver and first-round pick, was placed on the non-football injury list before the start of the season and will not be eligible to return to practice until Week 5 when the 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals.

At linebacker, Jordan Mason has been carrying the load in McCaffrey’s absence and has been joined in the linebacker room by Patrick Taylor Jr. and newcomer Isaac Gerindo, along with scout team member Keshawn Vaughn.

San Francisco could add either player to either position through the scout team or through a free agent, but that’s unlikely to have an impact on who plays Sunday in Los Angeles when the 49ers face a badly injured Rams team.

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