SANTA CLARA — Coach Kyle Shanahan is not even thinking about resting some of the team’s top players with the 49ers’ playoff spot secure and three games remaining in the regular season.
For now, it’s full steam ahead for the NFC West champs' upcoming games against Washington, Las Vegas and Arizona, Shanahan said on Tuesday.
And that might even go for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who appears to be close to being able to play after sustaining knee and ankle injuries in the team’s Week 14 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Samuel definitely will not play Saturday against the Commanders, but Shanahan left open the possibility that the team's All-Pro wide receiver could be available for the final two games of the regular season.
“He’s week to week,” Shanahan said of Samuel. “I think this week maybe there would be a chance if we were that desperate. But I’m not even looking into this week, and we’ll see how he is next Monday and make that same decision.”
Shanahan believes there is a greater risk to holding out healthy players late in the regular season than keeping them on the field.
“I think that’s one of the biggest mistakes people make, just watching it over the years, in my opinion,” Shanahan said. “I’ve been on a lot of teams when you rest guys or give guys a few more weeks (of rest), and those are usually the guys who struggle the most in that first playoff game.”
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The only concession Shanahan said he will make is to confirm any player coming off an injury is fully healthy before getting back on the field.
“Like last year when it came to our last game, you have guys who are fighting to play because they’re right on the bubble of not being able to play,” Shanahan said. “In this situation, those guys you’d definitely rest. So anybody who has an injury that could risk them for the following week, the decision is that there’s no decision. You definitely rest them.”
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