Brandon Aiyuk was inactive on Thursday night in the San Francisco 49ers' game against the New York Giants. The wide receiver has been dealing with a shoulder injury. Some feared that the Niners' other star wideout might also be ailing.
After a catch in the second half of the game, wide receiver Deebo Samuel was slow to get up and was examined on the sideline in the medical tent. He re-entered the game and even caught a touchdown after the injury.
After the game, Kyle Shanahan indicated that Samuel had sustained a rib injury. The head coach was asked if his receiver would need X-rays to determine the extent of the damage.
Deebo Samuel injury was a rib injury per Kyle Shanahan
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) September 22, 2023
"I don't know. I'm sure [he will]," Shanahan responded. "But it was good that he came back in. He came back in, which usually means you're hoping it's positive. But I know he's sore right now, and we'll have to check that out."
Samuel downplayed the injury, indicating that it isn't as bad as Shanahan and the 49ers feared.
"I actually fell on the ball, and I thought it was my ribs," Samuel said. "I think the wind got knocked out of me. But after going in the tent and everything, checked out fine. I was good."
Luckily for Samuel and Aiyuk, the 49ers will have some extra time off. They won't return to the team's facility until Monday, so any ailing players will have Friday and the entire weekend to recover.
Shanahan was asked if Aiyuk might have been able to play had the team gone through a normal week of preparation.
"I think he probably could [have] if it was a Sunday [game]," Shanahan said. "We were hoping maybe he could wake up different today, but he didn't have a chance once we saw [how he felt]."
San Francisco will face the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, October 1.