49ers Place Jalen Hurd on Injured Reserve (Again)

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

The 49ers have placed wide receiver Jalen Hurd on the Injured Reserve List with knee tendinitis. To replace him, they called up cornerback Dontae Johnson from the practice squad.

Hurd will be elligible to return in three weeks if he's healthy, but come on. He's never healthy. This is his third season in the NFL and he still hasn't played in a regular season game, which means technically he isn't a professional wide receiver or a even professional football player. He's a professional rehabilitator.

The 49ers should have seen this coming. Hurd missed his entire rookie season with a back injury, then missed his entire second season with a torn ACL, then spent most of this year's training camp and preseason rehabbing and not playing.

In the preseason finale, Hurd finally played. He dropped two passes, looked sluggish and didn't seem to know where to line up or which routes to run. Otherwise, he looked great.

Hurd never was healthy for more than a week this offseason. And yet, the 49ers gave him a roster spot anyway. Because they believe in him.

"I've seen Jalen when he's going," head coach Kyle Shanahan said a couple weeks ago. "I know he's one of our top six receivers, so that's not an issue. That’s how it was for Dee Ford was last year. That's how Jaquiski Tartt is."

Excuse me, Kyle, but I find it disrespectful to compare Ford and Tartt, two proven NFL veterans, to Hurd, who might never play a down in the NFL.

And one more thing, Kyle. When has anyone seen Hurd when he's going? He played wide receiver for one season in college and so far two preseason games in the NFL. He's a myth. And keeping him cost the 49ers their kick returner, Nsimba Webster, whom the Bears claimed off waivers.

The Jalen Hurd Experience needs to end.