The Facts: GM John Lynch, speaking on local radio show Tuesday morning was asked about Samuel, who broke foot last month: "Not going to put an exact timeline on it but it's fair to say he may miss some games at the start of the year."

Diehards Line:Samuel, who became the Niners go-to receiver late in the season and in the playoffs, was primed for a huge 2020. Samuel tallied 127 receiving yards and 102 rushing yards over three playoff games, including 92 yards from scrimmage against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. His absence will put a greater onus on HC Kyle Shanahan to employ a promising but unproven cast of wide receivers. With Emmanuel Sanders off to New Orleans, Kendrick Bourne (30 receptions, 358 yards) is the 49ers' next-leading returning wideout. San Francisco will also look for contributions from 2020 first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, 2019 third-rounder Jalen Hurd, who missed his entire rookie season with a back injury, and possibly Dante Pettis, who's caught just 38 passes over his first two seasons.