There was a surprise from the 49ers when they took on the Eagles in Week 13. It was seeing Deebo Samuel returning kicks for the game. That is something he hasn’t done at all this season, and it’s been a long time since he has been a kick returner. Usually that responsibility falls on Ray-Ray McCloud, but he was inactive for that game due to a rib injury. With McCloud out, the 49ers had no other recourse than to roll with Samuel. And now they might end up having him hold onto that role for the foreseeable future after McCloud was placed on Injured Reserve. But Kyle Shanahan revealed Monday that McCloud’s injury wasn’t the lone factor in having Samuel return kicks.
