Deebo Samuel suffers broken foot, tweets he’ll be back by preseason

UPDATE: Deebo says he’ll be back in ten weeks, which would be middle of the preseason.

The San Francisco 49ers don’t start training camp until late July at the earliest, but they’ll already be shorthanded in a key spot. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffered a broken foot on Tuesday and will have surgery on Thursday, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport.

The injury is reportedly a Jones fracture, which Rapoport reported could mean a rehab period of 12-16 weeks. Even on the low end, that means he’s not getting back until late September at the earliest. Realistically, he could be looking at mid-to-late October return.

A year ago, 49ers wide receiver Trent Taylor suffered a Jones fracture and had surgery in August. However, he ended up missing the entire season after an infection created setbacks for him.

Samuel emerged as the 49ers best wide receiver by the end of last season, finishing his rookie season with 57 receptions for 802 yards and three touchdowns. Of late, he’s been the 30th receiver off the board in fantasy football drafts, going right around the 70th overall pick. This will hurt his draft stock, particularly in re-draft leagues. He remains a strong keeper value, but there is a considerably lower floor until we see how he recovers from the injury.

This is of note for Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers pass catchers. George Kittle was already the team’s top pass catcher, and one has to wonder if Garoppolo will lean into him even more while Samuel is out. Veteran Kendrick Bourne, second-year receiver Jalen Hurd, rookie Brandon Aiyuk, and veteran Dante Pettis are all receivers who could see a boost in opportunities.