SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot while working out with teammates in Nashville earlier this week, the team said Thursday.
The Jones fracture is a break between the base and the middle part of the fifth metatarsal of the foot and requires surgery, which was scheduled for Thursday.
According to the 49ers, the timetable for Samuel’s potential return is not yet known, though they expect to have a better idea when the team reports for training camp in late July. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Samuel is expected to be OK for Week 1.
Samuel suffered the injury while working out with other Niners skill position players in Nashville this week as they have been unable to do their normal on-field work in Santa Clara because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Samuel took to Twitter to acknowledge the injury Thursday afternoon, offering optimism that he would be OK and even a timeline for his recovery.
We gone be straight 🙏🏾❤️ https://t.co/MXjbojzvKU
— UnoCaptain‼️❌ (@19problemz) June 18, 2020
10 weeks I’m back better than the deebo you seen before 🙏🏾
— UnoCaptain‼️❌ (@19problemz) June 18, 2020
Under normal circumstances, a Jones fracture usually requires a six-to-eight week recovery, though it can be more or less depending on the severity of the fracture and the success of the ensuing operation.
Last year, 49ers receiver Trent Taylor sustained a Jones fracture in his right foot during training camp and was expected to return in about six weeks.
But Taylor’s first surgery didn’t help and when he went back for a second operation, his foot became infected. Taylor ended up missing the entire season.
Of course, the 49ers are optimistic that Samuel won’t have complications like those that kept Taylor out last season.
Losing Samuel for any length of time would be a big blow for the Niners’ offense. As a rookie in 2019, Samuel emerged as one of the team’s most dangerous dual-threat weapons, posting 57 catches for 802 yards and three touchdowns with 159 yards and three scores on the ground.
Following the offseason departure of Emmanuel Sanders to the New Orleans Saints in free agency, Samuel is expected to step into the role as the team’s No. 1 wideout. In May, Samuel said he doesn’t intend to alter his approach regardless of expectations.
“Honestly, I don’t think I will change anything that I have been doing,” Samuel said then. “Just continue to be me even if it’s not being a No. 1 receiver, just continuing to go out there and doing my job and bringing my teammates along. This is a team sport, it’s not about one person so I mean everybody has got to be on the same accord to go out there and get the job done.”
Before going to Nashville for this week’s workouts, Samuel had been training in Houston with Adrian Peterson and new Niners left tackle Trent Williams, among others.