Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel Sr. or Brian Thomas Jr.

Monday, October 26, 4:31 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) will have a chance to return in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders after the team's Week 8 bye, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. The same can be said for Mike Evans (Achilles, rib) and Demarcus Robinson (ankle). Samuel injured his hamstring in the Week 5 win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and has missed the last two games going into the bye. With Evans and Samuel inactive on Sunday in the Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, tight end George Kittle led the team in receiving, with Jordan Watkins leading the receiving corps. Reinforcements appear to be on their way following the Week 8 bye, which will be great news for quarterback Brock Purdy. The 30-year-old Samuel has caught 16 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns in five games so far in 2026, but with San Francisco getting healthier at the position, the veteran could find targets and touches harder to come by as the season progresses. He has also seen nine rushing attempts for 78 yards.