San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is officially listed as questionable for Sunday night's NFC showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. Samuel played only four snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs before being sidelined and later hospitalized with pneumonia. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday and rejoined his teammates the following day.
Although he didn't practice on Wednesday, Samuel was a limited participant on Thursday and Friday.
"He's gotten better each day, and hopefully, he continues going that way for Sunday," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters.
When asked about Samuel's stamina, Shanahan said, "It's gotten better each day. We've gone slow with him. We didn't push him that hard, knowing what the issue is and stuff. But it has gotten better each day, and that's why I'm hoping that continues for Sunday."
In the 49ers locker room, Samuel shared his experience of the frightening situation that began in the early hours of Sunday and continued into the game.
"Honestly, like, I really couldn't breathe, for real," Samuel revealed. "And I didn't really know what was wrong until after the game."
Samuel realized something was seriously wrong during warmups.
"I had no energy to run or anything for a while," Samuel said. "And then I came in, and we tried to do a lot of IVs ... but gladly, we found it right after the game, and then everything else as well.
"It was scary because it's kind of hard to breathe, for real, and you can't take deep breaths. So, in the midst of that, I'm just like, 'What's going on?' And then we found out what was wrong after the game."
Even general manager John Lynch was unaware of Samuel's condition before the game.
"Right before the game, somebody came up to me and said, 'Where's Deebo?'" Lynch recalled on Friday morning. "And I said, 'Wow, I haven't been told anything. What's going on?' And next thing you know, a trainer's running out saying, 'Hey, he's struggling to breathe.' And we all know what became of that."
Samuel admitted the hospital stay was nerve-wracking, but he knew it was necessary for his recovery.
Now feeling "pretty good," Samuel believes he's had two "solid" practices. However, when asked about his confidence level regarding his status for Sunday, he remained cautious, replying, "We'll see."
