The San Francisco 49ers came into the season as one of the teams to beat in the NFC.
Many pundits and analysts believed they had a potent roster that would be tough to take down, especially in the playoffs.
While their roster hasn’t changed much due to trades or other reasons, the 49ers have been plagued with injuries on both sides of the ball.
Their pass-catchers have been banged up all year, and they were recently without Deebo Samuel due to a bout with pneumonia that left him hospitalized.
He was asked about this in a recent interview that was shared via 49ers on NBCS on X.
“It was scary because it was hard to breathe,” Samuel said.
Samuel had a rough experience with pneumonia, one that made it difficult for him to breathe.
Athletes, especially high-level athletes, put their bodies through extreme duress during their most challenging workouts.
If anything is hindering them, like pneumonia, for instance, it can harm their performance for weeks to come.
It’s currently unclear what Samuel’s status will be moving forward, and if he’ll be active for this week’s game.
If he isn’t, Brock Purdy will have even fewer weapons to throw to, making his situation that much more challenging.
The 49ers need to stay at the top of their game if they want to make another deep playoff run.
At the moment, other teams are passing them in the power rankings, including surprising teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears.
