49ers wide receiver woes mount as Deebo Samuel is hospitalized with pneumonia
The San Francisco 49ers were already reeling from Monday's bad news that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was out for the season with a serious knee injury when reports surfaced that Deebo Samuel was in the hospital with pneumonia.
On Sunday, the 49ers confirmed that Samuels was dealing with an unspecified illness at game time. Despite being cleared to play against the Chiefs in the anticipated Super Bowl rematch at Levi's Stadium, Samuel was hardly on the field early in the game.
He was later listed as questionable with an illness in the third quarter and then out a short time later. The Chiefs beat the Niners handily by a score of 28-18.
ESPN reporter Adam Schefter posted the update on Samuel's illness via his Twitter account Monday afternoon, saying that he was in the hospital and had fluid in his lungs. He noted that there was no timeline for his return.
Schefter also said TE George Kittle sprained his foot and was "considered day to day."
The team confirmed the report about 45 minutes after Schefter's original report, wishing Samuel a speedy recovery.
The one bit of good news the 49ers have had recently was that rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall returned to the field to play Sunday for the first time since being shot in the chest in San Francisco during an attempted robbery 50 days before.
Pearsall caught three passes for 21 yards during the game against the Chiefs and received a standing ovation after his first NFL catch.
