Kyle Shanahan: We Have to Be 'Smart' With Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel has missed the team's first three games with a foot injury that he sustained in the offseason, and is returning for Sunday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if Samuel's return means that other receivers will be "phased out".

“I don’t think they get phased out the offense, but we definitely have to be smart with him," Shanahan answered, via Niners Nation. "I wouldn’t say that there’s a pitch count, but Deebo was our starting receiver last year. He earned that early in the year and we kept it that way most of the year, definitely to finish. I don’t expect him to be like that on Sunday. It is his first time back. We’ve got to be smart with that. You see a lot of these injuries around the league and stuff, and that’s kind of what happens when you don’t go to the totally normal process of an offseason that we did. When you have a guy who’s missed a ton with his injury, that makes it even stronger. So, we’ve got to be smart with him. I know he’ll be out there, but it won’t be as his normal, that’s for sure.”