49ers' Deebo Samuel to Play vs. Lions in 2024 NFC Title Game Despite Shoulder Injury

Deebo Samuel wasn't going to miss the opportunity to suit up in the NFC Championship Game.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver will play on Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium with a berth in the Super Bowl on the line despite nursing a shoulder injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday.

Shanahan added that Samuel was a "full go" in Friday's practice. When asked how he would protect himself during Sunday's game, Samuel told reporters he "ain't protecting nothing."

Samuel, who did not practice Wednesday and was limited on Thursday, injured his shoulder in the first quarter of a divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend

There was initial concern that the 28-year-old fractured his shoulder again after doing so during the regular season.

However, Shanahan told reporters Monday that Samuel did not fracture his shoulder, and 49ers fans were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"It wasn't broken, so that was a real good sign," Shanahan said at the time. "But it's still hurting too much for us to really have an idea how he will heal up this week. So, we've just got to be patient, see how he feels on Wednesday, and based on if it's improving it will give us a better idea whether he has a chance for the game or not."

Samuel missed two games during the regular season—losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 7 and 8—after suffering a microfracture in his shoulder in a 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.

The dual-threat still caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 225 yards and five scores on 37 carries.

In San Francisco's divisional-round win over Green Bay, Samuel caught two passes for 24 yards before exiting.

The South Carolina product is one of the most important pieces of the San Francisco offense alongside running back Christian McCaffrey, and the 49ers will need him to be near the top of his game on Sunday to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 campaign.