Both Trent Taylor and rookie Jalen Hurd are eligible to return from injured reserve before the end of the season. One could still play this season while the other is sounding less and less likely to contribute this year.
Taylor suffered a foot injury during a practice before the start of the season. Hurd sustained a back injury during a preseason game. Neither has stepped foot onto the field this year for a regular-season game.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said last month that he wasn't optimistic about the chances of either player getting back on the football field.
"'Hopeful' is the word," Lynch said. "'Optimistic?' Probably not, and we'll see where that goes."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on Thursday and provided updates on both Taylor and Hurd. He doesn't feel the former will be ready before the team's Week 13 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
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"I think we have a decision that we can bring [Taylor] back by Baltimore," Shanahan said, "but it's not looking likely right now."
Added Shanahan: "If he was able to come back 100-percent healthy, there's no doubt we'd bring Trent back, but he's had some setbacks in his injury. Had an infection with it too, so he had to start that over. So it just cost him some time."
Shanahan sounded a bit more optimistic about Hurd's chances of returning.
"He's got a chance to come back in," Shanahan said. "The first time we can activate him to practice, I think, is next week, the Arizona week. So, we'll see how this week goes, and we'll make that decision next week. If he's not ready by then, then it will be week-to-week to give him that chance to open up that three-week window."
Taylor landed on injured reserve on September 20 while Hurd ended up with the designation on October 3.
Players placed on injured reserve after August 31 are eligible to return eight weeks after having the designation placed on them, but NFL teams can only bring back a maximum of two.
