The 49ers may soon get to see Jalen Hurd in his first regular-season NFL game.
Hurd, the big, physical wide receiver out of Baylor who was selected by the Niners in the third round of the draft this spring, has been sidelined by a back injury suffered late in training camp.
Before the injury, Hurd gained notice in practices and exhibition games for the way he battled defensive backs for the ball and broke tackles once he had the ball in his hands.
During training camp, head coach Kyle Shanahan says he loves the way Hurd plays and goes after the ball against defenders – and irritates them so they retaliate.
"He’s going to piss a lot of people off, and I hope a lot of people take shots at him," Shanahan said. "I hope he … smiles at them and at least gets them ejected and gets us a free 15 yards."
Hurd made the cut for the 53-man roster for Game 1, but hasn’t been able to play. The team decided not to put him on injured reserve so it could bring him back as soon as possible to boost the receiving corps.
Now, Shanahan says Hurd could be back in time to play the team’s next game, after a bye week, against the Browns on Monday night, Oct. 7.
Sports
"It’s been a serious injury, that’s why he had to rest it for about a month, and we’re getting close to where he should be ready to go," Shanahan told the media this week.
Shanahan said he’s hoping Hurd will be able to work out during this bye week and then rejoin practice for full participation early next week.
The 3-0 49ers already have gotten good results from Hurd’s fellow drafted rookie wideout, Deebo Samuel, who has 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown.
