49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was having a solid game Sunday when he had to leave the field at the end of the third quarter with a groin injury. He didn’t return to the game, which San Francisco won 34-26.
Samuel was hit for a 6-yard loss on a run and then remained on the ground. He took off his helmet and stayed on his knees before he was able to walk to the medical tent. After being examined, he stood on the sideline near coach Kyle Shanahan with a towel on his head.
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Before the injury, Samuel became first wide receiver in NFL history to record 1,000 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in a season. He scored on runs of 20 and 3 yards Sunday against the Vikings. He also became the first wide receiver to score five rushing touchdowns in a season since the Super Bowl era began in 1966, surpassing Tavon Austin’s four in 2015.
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He finished the game with six carries for 66 yards and the two rushing touchdowns, to go with one reception for 12 yards.
Samuel’s five rushing touchdowns are also more than the rushing TDs for several star running backs, including Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Jones, Alvin Kamara, David Montgomery and Saquon Barkley.
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The 49ers announced three other injuries Sunday: linebackers Dre Greenlaw (groin) and Fred Warner (hamstring) and running back Trey Sermon (ankle).