Do the 49ers Need Deebo Samuel Week 1 Against the Cardinals?
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been an enormous question mark for Week 1 against the Cardinals ever since he suffered a fracture in his foot back in June.
Samuel is the only receiver the 49ers have no doubt about. Having him miss out on the 2020 season open will be a blow to the 49ers.
As of now, it looks as if he may be able to play on Sunday. Or at least, the 49ers are going to make a decision on his availability come Tuesday per general manager John Lynch. Having him available will of course enhance the offense and allow to operate close to full strength.
However, the 49ers may want to consider placing him inactive so that he can get acclimated back to the field better for Week 2 than rush to adequate conditioning for Week 1.
It really is a measure on if the 49ers need Samuel for Week 1 against Cardinals.
And the obvious answer is that they don't.
Samuel is not needed to win against the Cardinals nor does his absence deliver a massive blow to the 49ers. Is it unfortunate and not ideal? Of course. Samuel is a stud and allows Kyle Shanahan to get wildly creative with him in the lineup.
But they do not need Samuel to give them leverage over the Cardinals. They already are poised to win that game with or without him, so why not bring him along slowly so he doesn't risk further injury or sustain a different injury since he needs to get back into game shape.
There is always all this talk that the 49ers are loaded, which is certainly true, so if that is the case then they do not need Samuel back for Week 1.
Will he get injured or re-injured? Probably not, but that isn't the point. The point is it worth risking him for a game that the 49ers do not need him in? And the answer is clearly no.
Sure, it will be a bummer to not have him out there and not see him out there from a fan's perspective. But this is the Cardinals we are talking about. I do not expect the Cardinals to be an easy win, but the 49ers are not a Deebo-Samuel difference from winning the game.
If there is anything to takeaway from the 2019 season for the 49ers it is that health is crucial. They really were fortunate with the great depth and coaching done last season, so they should not be taking advantage of that luck.
The 49ers should definitely take matters into their own hands in ensuring health for the longevity of the season and rest Samuel for Week 1. They could even afford it for Week 2. It is not like they are facing an elite opponent in the first quarter of the season.
Better to wait another week or two to be at full strength than to potentially shoot yourself in the foot.
