Deebo Samuel’s injury provided significant cause for concern for the San Francisco 49ers following their divisional round win over the Green Bay Packers but, ahead of Sunday’s NFC Championship Game with the Detroit Lions, they started the week with a huge dose of positive news on the wide receiver.

Samuel left the game in the first half because of a shoulder injury. He had previously been evaluated for a head injury and cleared. He did not return and was on the sideline in the second half out of uniform.

He initially said after the game that he was ok, and NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Samuel had avoided a fracture in his shoulder. The wideout had previously missed two games in the regular season after suffering a hairline fracture early in the Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Rapoport added that, though he has avoided a serious injury, Samuel's status for Sunday's remains unclear.

From @GMFB: There continues to be guarded optimism for #49ers WR Deebo Samuel, with negative X-Rays; Plus, #Eagles coach Nick Sirianni made moves on the defensive side of the ball. pic.twitter.com/OeXQrgItRS

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2024

However, with a bye week to recover before the Super Bowl if the Niners win, it would appear likely Samuel will look to play through the injury and provide a huge boost to a San Francisco offense that had to work much harder to move the ball without him against the Packers.

Samuel's versatility in being able to make an impact as a receiver in the formation and as both a runner and a pass-catcher out of the backfield makes him a unique challenge for defenses. With both him and Christian McCaffrey on the field, the number of matchup problems the 49ers present for opponents increases exponentially.

And with Samuel seemingly set to be in the lineup, the 49ers' hopes of vindicating their status as favorites and reaching the Super Bowl should greatly improve.

49ers emerge from the divisional round grime with renewed confidence

It was the type of win they needed.