Just-now: The San Francisco 49ers have revealed Deebo Samuel’s injury status against the Lions

The San Francisco 49ers revealed the status of star wide receiver Deebo Samuel on Friday afternoon. Samuel missed much of the 49er’s win over the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round due to a shoulder injury.

Samuel finished with two catches for 24 yards against the Packers.

According to Adam Schefter with ESPN, Shanahan said Samuel was taken off the injury report on Friday. He will start against the Lions.

Having Samuel back in the lineup will be a huge boost to the 49ers’ offense and quarterback Brock Purdy. Samuel caught 60 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season.

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Detroit Lions expect Penei Sewell to produce a strong performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game

Penei Sewell has become one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL in three years.

The Detroit Lions right tackle was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2022. Sewell could earn All-Pro recognition again in 2023, after allowing just one sack all season and being graded as the top tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

“I’m trying to be the best at anything,” Sewell told reporters this week.

Sewell, 23, has faced some of the best pass rushers in the NFL during the 2023 season. Sewell has faced, among others, Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys, Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders, Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings and Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers. Sewell allowed just six quarterback hits on 752 pass blocking situations during the season.

Sewell could face his toughest test of the season on Sunday when the Lions take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

Sewell will be matched up often against San Francisco edge rusher Nick Bosa. Bosa posted 10.5 sacks and was among the league leaders in pressures and quarterback hits. Bosa was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year after posting 18.5 sacks in 2022 and he has posted 44.5 sacks during the past three seasons.

“He does a lot of things, to be honest. He’s very strong, very athletic and also very technically sound,” Sewell told reporters. “He kind of has it all in terms of an edge rusher and a pass rusher. It’s going to be a big battle.”

With Bosa on one edge and Chase Young on the other, the 49ers possess one of the best edge rushing duos in the NFL. However, the Lions counter with Sewell at right tackle and Taylor Decker at left tackle, forming one of the league’s top duos at the position.

“I’m not saying that we’re not worried about the edges, because we are, we certainly are,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson told reporters Thursday. “But it helps you sleep a little bit better at night knowing that some of their best players are going against some of your best players as well.”

The game against the 49ers will be a back to the future contest for Sewell. The former Oregon star’s first NFL game was against the 49ers. Sewell started at left tackle in place of the injured Decker, but he’s not thinking about that game.

“I’m not really thinking about it like that,” Sewell said. “It’s just another good matchup.”

The Lions knew they had something special in Sewell, which is why they used their first-round pick (No. 7) to select him in the 2020 NFL draft. He’s gone from rookie to being one of the league’s best in three years.