Deebo Samuel Suffers Shoulder Injury in 49ers' Loss to the Browns
Deebo Samuel had a bad day in Cleveland on Sunday
First, he started a pregame scuffle by shoulder checking a member of the Browns on the field. Then he carried the ball twice in the 49ers' first two series. The second time, he ran the ball on 3rd and 23, gained 3 yards, injured his shoulder and never returned. Which means Samuel got injured playing running back on a play that had virtually zero chance to pick up a first down.
Samuel's injury was so avoidable. They could have given that carry to a real running back such as Jordan Mason on 3rd and a mile. But they handed it off to their high-priced wide receiver, who's hurt again.
Samuel gets injured quite often at this stage of his career, and it's largely because of his style of play. He seeks out violence and contact when he has the ball in his hands. He refuses to go down. He delivers blows instead of taking them. And he delivers blows with his shoulder. And now it's injured.
Samuel's play style is not sustainable long term -- anyone who watches him play can see that. The 49ers should have seen that years ago. And yet, they gave him a massive contract extension last year, anyway. And when he's healthy and in shape and on the field, he's usually worth the price. But he can't seem to stay healthy for an extended period of time anymore. If he has an injury-plagued season, the 49ers should look to trade him at the end of it. His best days are behind him.
