Overview
- Samuel suffered a right hamstring injury during the 49ers' Week 5 game and was ruled out of that contest after crumpling, fumbling and limping to the sideline.
- Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel will miss at least a couple of weeks while the team has scheduled MRI imaging to determine the exact severity and return timetable.
- NFL insiders have flagged the 49ers’ immediate in-game ruling and Samuel’s symptoms as context clues that the absence could stretch into several weeks, though final timing awaits MRI results.
- Samuel’s loss compounds an already-thin receiving group that already included season-ending and IR absences and will push more targets to Mike Evans, Brandin Cooks and tight end George Kittle.
- With a Week 8 bye available the 49ers can delay an injured-reserve decision if Samuel’s recovery is short, but the team may make practice‑squad promotions or a short-term roster addition depending on the MRI and Week 6 evaluations.