Two years ago, fans of the San Francisco 49ers couldn't get enough of rookie wide receiver Jalen Hurd. His combination of size and speed, along with coach Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme, led many to believe Hurd would be a force in the NFL. And after he scored two touchdowns in a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, fans were ready to have him fitted for a gold jacket.
But a back injury cost him his 2019 season, and a season-ending ACL tear cost him 2020. So this training camp was proving to be very important for Hurd. And so far, it hasn't gone the way fans hoped it would go. Hurd has not practiced as much as fans had hoped he would, and he has not played in any games yet, though he is expected to play Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
49ers general manager John Lynch went on KNBR Radio Friday morning to discuss the team. Among the many things he mentioned were some nuggets on Hurd. "If Jalen Hurd can be out there- there's a reason why we drafted Jalen Hurd," said Lynch. "He's extremely talented and physical and fast and all those things, and he's got really good hands."
Lynch added that the will team will probably keep six wide receivers. Whether or not Hurd is one of them will depend on what happens this weekend, and the early part of next week. Matt Barrows, of the Athletic, tweeted, "This is a critical stretch for Hurd. If he can practice three days/play on Sunday/feel OK on Monday, he'll be on the roster."
Toward the end of the interview, KNBR host Brian Murphy circled back to tell Lynch that fans were texting the show because they noticed he mentioned Hurd by name, and were trying to read something into that. Lynch laughed and responded, "That's his name. We're excited about him. I mean, we're holding on. He hasn't played in the first couple of years, but for good reason. He's had legitimate injuries. But he's been out there. We've had two really hard practices. And he's done a great job in them. And it would be a really good thing for our team if he could be out there. So we're pulling for him, and he's put in the work, and hopefully he's there, because he makes us a better team, if he is."
It sounds like Lynch and the 49ers aren't ready to give up on Hurd. This weekend should decide what happens.
John Lynch on #KNBR on his team's receiving corps: "If Jalen Hurd can be out there -- there's a reason why we drafted Jalen Hurd." This is a critical stretch for Hurd. If he can practice three days/play on Sunday/feel OK on Monday he'll be on the roster.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 27, 2021
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
