San Francisco 49ers hybrid wide receiver Deebo Samuel is now expected to return before the end of the regular season after suffering multiple injuries Sunday.

After Samuel underwent an MRI exam, the 49ers said Samuel had a sprained left ankle and a sprained MCL in his knee.

After previous reports said the Niners were planning to be without Samuel until the playoffs, the team revealed he’s expected to return during the regular season. San Francisco has four games remaining.

Samuel was injured Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and left the game after his leg bent awkwardly underneath him while being tackled on a 3-yard run, a play that finished with Tampa Bay recovering his fumble. Samuel attempted to get off the field under his own power before needing the assistance of a cart.

An emotional Samuel was in tears as he was taken from the field, and the team initially announced the injury was to his knee.

Samuel, 26, had four carries for 21 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 43 yards before leaving the game.

For the season, Samuel has 54 receptions for 612 yards and two touchdowns and has rushed for 228 yards and three scores.

ESPN reported that veteran defensive back Dontae Johnson will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL from Sunday’s game.

Johnson, 31, played in only two games this season. He has 214 career tackles, two interceptions and four fumble recoveries in 105 games (28 starts) with the 49ers (2014-17, 2019-22), Buffalo Bills (2018) and Los Angeles Chargers (2019).

–Field Level Media