Deebo Samuel health update: 49ers WR hospitalized after exiting Chiefs game with illness

San Francisco 49ers (3-4) receiver Deebo Samuel has been hospitalized due to pneumonia and fluid in his lungs, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday.

There is no timetable for his return. Samuel came into Sunday’s Week 7 home tilt against the Kansas City Chiefs (6-0) dealing with an illness he came down with during pregame drills. He exited the game early after being seen on the sideline wearing an oxygen mask and consulting with a doctor. Samuel played just four snaps in the 28-18 defeat.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Samuel “struggled to breathe,” prompting his removal from the game.

“Throat, stomach things, just real fatigued,” Shanahan said after the game. “Struggled to breathe, couldn’t catch his breath… He kept trying to fight through it. But once he was struggling with the breathing and everything, we had to shut him down.”

Deebo Samuel sidelined for foreseeable future with illness

Samuel, 28, came into Sunday’s game San Francisco’s third leading receiver, having hauled in 20 receptions for 335 yards and one touchdown. The 49ers are suddenly depleted on offense, as fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL Sunday. He sustained the injury with 48 seconds remaining in the second quarter after taking a hit to the knee following a 15-yard catch.

“What BA does for our offense and who he is and as a teammate and the brother of ours. Man, it’s sad. Wish him nothing but the best and praying for him. So that’s my guy,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “And when he goes down like that, obviously we have other guys that can step up and do their job really well… We all just got to come together as a group collectively, the receiver unit and all of us.”

The 49ers remain without running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) and tight end George Kittle sprained his foot in the Chiefs game. Kittle is considered day to day. Receiver Jauan Jennings missed out on Sunday’s contest with a hip injury.