Deebo Samuel suffers hamstring injury on costly fumble in 49ers-Seahawks showdown

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t just cough up another possession Sunday afternoon. They might have lost one of their most dangerous offensive weapons in the process.

Wide receiver and all-around Swiss Army knife, Deebo Samuel suffered a right hamstring injury late in the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks, fumbling the football as he collapsed to the turf in a disastrous sequence that threatened to derail San Francisco’s pursuit of first place in the NFC West.

The play began innocently enough. Quarterback Brock Purdy took the shotgun snap and flipped the football to Samuel, who sprinted toward the left sideline looking to turn the corner.

Instead, his right hamstring betrayed him just as he got to the edge. 

Samuel suddenly crashed to the ground and lost the football, handing Seattle another possession and ultimately three more points.

It was San Francisco’s second consecutive possession ending in a turnover, following a Purdy interception that Seattle immediately punished with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Samuel’s fumble marked the seventh combined turnover in a game with enormous NFC West implications. For a team with division-title aspirations, the carelessness was becoming indefensible.

Samuel limped toward the 49ers sideline clutching his right hamstring before San Francisco’s medical staff quickly ruled him out for the remainder of the game.

To add insult to injury for the 49ers, minutes later they lost another receiver, Jacob Cowing, to an ankle injury. 

The severity of Samuel’s hamstring injury remains unknown, with further evaluation and potentially imaging expected to determine whether Samuel suffered a mild strain or something more significant.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has already missed three games with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain this season, illustrating how quickly these injuries can become prolonged absences.

San Francisco went on to win the game 32-29 thanks to a defensive stop.

The 49ers might be able to survive a costly fumble, but losing Samuel for an extended stretch could be another matter entirely.

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