49ers injury updates: Deebo Samuel will likely miss the rest of the season

The 49ers waived DL Alex Barrett for the 17th time this season, as well as CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan met with the media Monday afternoon to provide a few injury updates. The news was not good, as you may have expected.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a hamstring strain that Shanahan said would keep him out for a while. He wouldn’t put a timetable on Samuel’s return initially but later said, “we’d have to make the playoffs for him to come back.” So, he’s out for the season.

Kyle said Deebo took the news hard, but Shanahan tried to explain to Samuel that this could be a blessing in disguise as Samuel’s injury could heal 100% now. He added that now Samuel will understand what it takes to play every week in this league and how to take care of his body in the offseason.

Raheem Mostert has an ankle injury. Fred Warner has a shoulder stinger. Both players are undergoing further imaging and are considered day-to-day at this point. The team will know more come Wednesday. Daniel Brunskill has a shoulder sprain and is also day-to-day.

Shanahan said that he’s hoping tight end George Kittle will return to practice this week. We’re right at the timeline where Kittle returned from a broken foot. Kittle is of the mentality that if he’s close enough to play, he’s going to play. He’s on record saying that his foot has healed faster than anticipated. For the 49ers, you have eight losses. The risk of Kittle getting injured is not worth winning the final few games. I’d shut him down, but, again, it’s Kittle.

Jimmy Garoppolo will not practice this week. On if we’ll see Jimmy this season: “I wouldn’t say I’m confident. It’s up in the air. The only way we’re going to put him out there is if it’s completely healed.”

Shanahan said Garoppolo had the worst of the team’s high ankle sprains, and surgery was considered. That’s why Garoppolo has been out the longest.

Don’t expect Jauan Jennings to return any time soon, either. Shanahan said Jennings nearly ripped his hamstring in October, and it was the worst on the team. The team is hopeful he can practice and possibly play in a game before the season is over. Shanahan added that “this offseason will be big for Jauan.”