Deebo Samuel carted off after leg injury

Last week, the San Francisco 49ers’ visions of a Super Bowl took a hit when quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a foot injury that might cost him the rest of the season.

Now the 49ers have to worry about the status of do-it-all offensive threat Deebo Samuel.

Samuel suffered a lower leg injury late in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and was taken off the field on a cart. The receiver was visibly shaken as he was taken off the field, and nearly the entire San Francisco roster came onto the field to see him before he was taken to the locker room for further testing.

The play came late in the second quarter, with just over five minutes remaining before halftime. With San Francisco already out to a 21-0 lead over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, they were looking to extend that lead before the break.

Samuel aligned in the backfield next to third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, and took a handoff before testing the interior of the Buccaneers defense. After cutting upfield, he was tackled awkwardly, with his left leg bending below him:

Samuel immediately grabbed his left knee, and was down on the field for an extended period.

According to Matt Maiocco, who covers the 49ers for NBC Sports, Samuel did get up, but was in obvious discomfort:

As Samuel was taken to the locker room for further observation, he was visibly upset and holding his left knee:

Purdy, making his first NFL start, has stepped in admirably in place of Garoppolo. The seventh-round selection — and Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL draft — completed 14 of 18 passes in the first half for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The 49ers are hoping they do not need to find a Samuel replacement anytime soon.

An early report from Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network offers 49ers fans some hope. According to Pelissero, Samuel suffered an ankle injury, not a knee injury. Furthermore, it is believed that Samuel avoided a “major injury:”

We will update this story as more information becomes available.