49ers WR Deebo Samuel set to miss time with hamstring injury, Kyle Shanahan says

The San Francisco 49ers began the season with a 5-0 record, but the early momentum has come with a familiar cost: injuries that have touched multiple parts of the roster, especially the receiving corps. On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan said wide receiver Deebo Samuel will miss time after leaving the team’s Week 5 win at Seattle with a hamstring injury.

According to the report, Samuel’s hamstring issue is the latest development in what has been a recurring theme for the 49ers. In Week 5, he departed the game after taking part in the contest, and the expectation going forward is that he will not be available for a stretch of games while the team handles the injury.

For San Francisco, the challenge is more than just one missing receiver. Samuel has long been used as a versatile weapon, lining up as a traditional wideout at times while also contributing as an interior target depending on the weekly game plan. When he’s out, the offense has to redistribute routes, targets, and touches, and the coaching staff often leans harder on the remaining outside options and the players who can move the ball after the catch.

Shanahan’s comments frame the situation as a “missing piece moving forward,” language that suggests the 49ers are planning for a recovery window rather than treating the injury as something that can be managed through short-term adjustments. Hamstring injuries can affect acceleration and cutting ability, which matters in an offense that asks receivers to create separation and run with leverage after the catch.

The 49ers’ season story so far has been defined by both execution and endurance. Being 5-0 offers proof that the team can win even when the game plan has to shift, but each additional injury becomes a larger factor in how quickly backups can step into defined roles. With Samuel already out following his Week 5 departure, San Francisco will need to tighten its passing distribution and ensure its run-pass balance is strong enough to protect the offense from predictable downs-and-distance patterns.

What to watch next is how quickly Samuel’s workload changes once he returns, and which players see the biggest increase in targets and route volume in the meantime. The snap-by-snap usage of the remaining receivers, along with how the 49ers structure their formations in games without Samuel, will be key indicators of whether San Francisco can sustain its offensive rhythm while preserving the health of other key pieces.