49ers WR Jalen Hurd likely to be placed on injured reserve again

It sounds like Jalen Hurd will miss the 49ers’ season opener. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the third-year wide receiver is a candidate for the injured reserve thanks to a lingering knee injury.

“We felt pretty good (coming) out of the Raiders game just with how he was able to play and get through it,” Shanahan said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “But it was hurting him three days later when we tried to practice again. And we gave him the weekend off and it hurt again Monday. And just coming in here today and just realizing that we have to reevaluate this and shut him down for a little bit.”

The 2019 third-round pick still hasn’t seen the field for a regular-season game thanks to injuries. That included an ACL tear that ruined his 2020 campaign and knee tendinitis limited him during the early parts of the 2021 preseason. He finally got into the 49ers' preseason finale, playing 29 snaps.

If Hurd is destined for injured reserve, the 49ers would likely look to add another wideout to the active roster. Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes that veteran Travis Benjamin, who is currently on the practice squad, is “the top candidate” to take Hurd’s spot.