49ers optimistic Fred Warner will return vs. Bengals, Deebo Samuel day-to-day
The 49ers should get at least one of their injured stars back when they head to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in a conference call talked about the status of linebacker Fred Warner and wide receiver Deebo Samuel after both players missed San Francisco’s Week 13 game in Seattle.
Shanahan sounded optimistic about Warner’s availability for the upcoming week, but pumped the brakes on Samuel.
“It’s still early on Monday. Fred was closer than Deebo was last week, so I expect to get Fred back at practice this Wednesday,” Shanahan said Monday afternoon. “Deebo, we’ll go day-to-day with him. I’m hoping to get him back this week, but it’s still too early to tell.”
Warner wasn’t officially ruled out for the Seahawks game until 90 minutes before kickoff when inactives were released. Shanahan said at the start of last week after Warner injured his hamstring vs. the Vikings that he was only expected to miss one game, and he seems to still be trending in that direction.
Samuel was expected to miss one or two weeks with a groin injury he also sustained against the Vikings. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see San Francisco hold him out for a second week to ensure he’s fully healthy down the stretch.
The 49ers are in a good spot in terms of playoff positioning and they moved the ball effectively without Samuel on Sunday in Seattle. If they can wait one more week to get him at 100 percent – it feels like a no-brainer that they’d hold him out. His practice workload through the week will tell the story for his chances to go Sunday.
