Deebo Samuel’s status for the NFC Championship Game remains up in the air, but the San Francisco 49ers reportedly have some optimism regarding the star receiver.

During the divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers, Samuel battled through a pair of early ailments. He was evaluated (and cleared) for a concussion in the first half and later left and did not return with what the team described as a shoulder injury.

On Monday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared the latest, including Samuel undergoing a slate of tests Sunday morning. Per Rapoport, Samuel avoided a fracture.

“First, he was evaluated for a concussion then cleared. Then he was knocked out of the game with what was termed a shoulder injury. Had a battery of tests yesterday morning, my understanding is there is no fracture in the shoulder of Deebo Samuel, which is good news,” said Rapoport.

Moving forward, Samuel’s availability for the NFC Championship is unclear, but Rapoport says the belief is that this will not be a major injury. He also reported Samuel is telling people he believes he will be okay.

“As far as the actual status moving forward, that still remains up in the air… The belief is this is not a major injury,” Rapoport indicated. “Samuel got to work on rehab right after the injury and has been telling people he thinks he will be okay.”

Impact of Deebo Samuel’s injury

There’s no overstating the importance of Samuel to the 49ers. Though Christian McCaffery has dominated the offensive touches this season, Samuel is second on the team in total touchdowns with 12.

As a receiver, Samuel is 3rd on the 49ers with 892 yards and tied for the team lead with 7 touchdowns. The 49ers also struggled to find their footing offensively until the second half without Samuel in the lineup.

Without Samuel in the lineup, the Packers were able to keep Brandon Aiyuk in check for just 3 catches for 32 yards for the 49ers’ leading receiver. We’ll see if Samuel is able to get healthy and back on the field with a shot to reach the Super Bowl against the Detroit Lions.