Samuel (knee) hasn't been cleared to practice and remains in line to sit out Saturday's game against the Commanders, but he was spotted Tuesday without a walking boot to protect his sprained ankle and without any brace on his injured left knee, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Samuel was sidelined for the 49ers' Week 15 win over the Seahawks with the two left leg injuries, which head coach Kyle Shanahan said Dec. 13 would likely keep the talented wideout sidelined for around three weeks. As a result, Samuel shouldn't be viewed as a realistic candidate to play until Week 17 in Las Vegas, and his status for that contest will be contingent on how his knee and ankle respond to practice activity. Even though the 49ers have already captured the NFC West title and may not have much at stake in Weeks 17 and 18, they would presumably still want to see Samuel get in some snaps in a game setting and build more rapport with rookie quarterback Brock Purdy before the postseason gets underway.