SANTA CLARA -- Wide receiver Jalen Hurd’s long-awaited NFL debut will likely have to wait at least another three weeks.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that Hurd is a candidate to be placed on injured reserve due to a knee condition. Hurd has not been able to take part in practice since he played 27 snaps in the 49ers’ exhibition finale Aug. 29 against the Raiders.
Hurd, a third-round draft pick in 2019, missed his entire rookie season with a stress fracture in his back. He sustained a season-ending torn ACL on the first day of camp in 2020.
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This summer, he spent more time rehabbing than practicing or playing due to what Shanahan described as tendinitis in his knee.
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In his only preseason game since his rookie year, Hurd caught four passes for 25 yards and had two drops against the Raiders.
If he is placed on injured reserve, he will not be eligible to play in at least the first three games of the season. The top candidate to fill Hurd's spot on the 49ers' 53-man roster is Travis Benjamin, whom the club protected on their practice squad this week. Receivers River Cracraft and Isaiah Zuber also are on the team's practice squad.
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