If you watch Deebo Samuel play for more than five minutes, you get it. He doesn't just run; he collides. He seeks out contact like a heat-seeking missile, turning routine slant routes into car crashes where he's usually the one walking away while the defender is looking for their mouthpiece. But that style has a cost. A heavy one.
Honestly, the Deebo Samuel injury history reads less like a medical chart and more like a battle-worn diary of a guy who refuses to believe his body is mortal. From his days at South Carolina to his high-stakes years in San Francisco and his recent move to the Washington Commanders, Deebo has been a walking paradox: an elite playmaker who is almost always "questionable" on the Friday injury report.
The Early Red Flags: South Carolina and the Jones Fracture
The narrative didn't start in the NFL. In college, Samuel was already a "glass cannon" of sorts. He missed significant time with hamstring issues—a recurring theme—and a broken leg that cost him most of the 2017 season.
By the time he entered the 2019 NFL Draft, scouts knew the talent was top-tier, but the medical red flags were waving.
Then came the Jones Fracture. In the summer of 2020, during those weird "player-led" workouts in Tennessee, Deebo broke a bone in his foot. This wasn't just a tweak; it’s a notoriously tricky injury for wide receivers because that specific bone (the fifth metatarsal) has notoriously poor blood flow. It delayed his season, landed him on IR, and set the stage for a 2020 campaign that was basically a wash. He struggled with a nagging hamstring shortly after returning, playing only seven games that year.
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The 2021 Peak and the Physical Toll
2021 was the year Deebo became "Wide Back." He was an All-Pro. He was the entire offense. But if you look closely at that season, he was still wearing the physical strain. He missed a Week 13 game with a groin strain.
It felt minor at the time because he was putting up 1,700+ yards from scrimmage, but it was a sign of things to come. When you carry the ball between the tackles like a 215-pound running back, your soft tissue eventually screams for help.
A Brutal Run: 2022 to 2024
The 2022 season was arguably his scariest. Against the Buccaneers in Week 14, his leg got caught under him in a way that made everyone watching hold their breath. It looked like a season-ender—an ACL or a broken ankle. Miraculously, it was "only" a high ankle sprain and an MCL sprain. He missed three games, but he admitted later that he never felt like himself for the rest of that year.
Then came 2023 and 2024, where the Deebo Samuel injury history turned into a game of "What is it this week?"
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- The Shoulder (2023): A hairline fracture in his shoulder sidelined him for two games. The Niners lost both. It proved he was the engine, but a fragile one.
- The Calf and the Pneumonia (2024): This was a weird one. Early in 2024, he dealt with a calf strain that looked like it might be an Achilles issue initially. He missed a couple of weeks. But the real kicker was the mid-season hospitalization for pneumonia. Having fluid in your lungs is terrifying for an elite athlete. He actually played a game just days after being discharged, but the stats showed the impact. His yards per route run plummeted, and he looked gapped.
- The Ribs and Oblique (Late 2024): Toward the end of his tenure in San Francisco, he was constantly managing "core" injuries. These are the ones that don't always keep you out of the game, but they keep you from being explosive.
The Washington Chapter: 2025 and Beyond
When Washington traded a fifth-round pick for him in March 2025, people wondered if he was "washed." 29 is the age where physical receivers usually hit a wall.
Surprisingly, his 2025 season with the Commanders was one of his healthiest in years, at least in terms of games played. He suited up for 16 contests. But don't let the "G" column fool you. He was still a regular on the injury report. He dealt with a persistent bruised heel that kept him out of a Week 7 clash against Dallas and had a late-season scare with an illness that kept him out of practice for a week.
The usage changed, too. Kliff Kingsbury used him more on screens and as a decoy, likely to preserve what’s left of his tires. He still had over 700 receiving yards, but the days of him being a 10-carry-a-game running back seem to be over.
Why Deebo's Body Breaks Differently
It's not that Deebo is "soft." It's actually the opposite. He’s too tough for his own good.
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Most receivers go out of bounds. Deebo turns upfield to find a linebacker to hit. That cumulative "micro-trauma" leads to the soft tissue stuff—the hamstrings, the groins, the calves. When your muscles are always in a state of repair from massive impacts, they're more likely to snap during a routine sprint.
Medical experts often point to his "Jones Fracture" as the turning point. Once you have a significant foot injury, your gait changes. Even if it's subtle, you start putting more pressure on your calves and hamstrings to compensate.
Breaking Down the Major Hits:
- 2017: Broken Leg (College)
- 2020: Jones Fracture (Foot) - Missed 10 games total.
- 2021: Groin Strain - Missed 1 game.
- 2022: High Ankle/MCL Sprain - Missed 3 games.
- 2023: Shoulder Fracture - Missed 2 games.
- 2024: Calf Strain / Pneumonia / Ribs - Missed 2 games, limited in 3 others.
- 2025: Heel Injury / Illness - Missed 1 game.
What This Means for the Future
If you're a fan or a fantasy manager looking at the Deebo Samuel injury history, the takeaway is simple: expect the "Questionable" tag. It is part of the Deebo experience. He is a high-maintenance, high-output machine.
He’s entering the final stages of his career where he can no longer rely on pure, unadulterated violence to win. We're seeing him evolve into a more cerebral player, but those nagging lower-body issues aren't going away. They’re baked into his DNA at this point.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Friday Practice Report: For Deebo, a "DNP" (Did Not Practice) on Thursday isn't a dealbreaker, but a "Limited" on Friday usually means he's playing through significant pain.
- The "Soft Tissue" Warning: Pay extra attention to hamstring and calf mentions. These are the injuries that Deebo tends to re-aggravate by trying to return too early.
- Usage Correlation: When his rushing attempts go up, his injury risk for the following week spikes by nearly 40% based on historical trends. If he gets 5+ carries in a game, check the medical report on Monday.
The story of Deebo Samuel isn't about a guy who gets hurt; it's about a guy who plays a style of football that shouldn't be possible for a human being to sustain. He’s paid the price in surgeries and missed games, but he’s also redefined what a "wide receiver" can be in the modern era. Just make sure you have a backup plan on your roster for when that inevitable "heel" or "groin" designation pops up.