Getty 49ers wide receiver Jalen Hurd (#17) celebrates a first down against the Rams.
It is week 4 of the NFL season, and the San Francisco 49ers have opened practice windows for the first of those players placed on the injured reserve list during the preseason.
Defensive lineman Maurice Hurst and defensive back Davontae Harris are now eligible to return to regular practice and game activities. Wide receiver Jalen Hurd, however, will remain a member of the IR for the foreseeable future.
“He’s just not there yet,” Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told media members on Wednesday, September 29. “The other two guys are ready to go. They’ll practice today. And when they’re ready, we’ll get them up.”
Hurd Yet to Take Field in an NFL Regular Season Game
GettySan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jalen Hurd.
The 25-year-old Hurd, entering his third season in the NFL, has been perhaps the most frustrating 49ers player over the last three years due to a combination of potential and bad injury luck.
Hurd suffered a stress fracture to his back prior to the start of the 2019 season, missing his entire rookie campaign as a result. After returning during the next offseason, Hurd sustained an ACL tear, which also knocked him out for the year.
The wideout played on and off during the 2021 preseason with issues in that same knee, but found his way onto the field for the Niners’ final tuneup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Hurd caught four passes for 25 yards in San Francisco’s victory, also registering two dropped passes. He missed the team’s next practice due to issues with his injured knee and has not appeared on the practice field since.
The Niners placed Hurd on the IR in the days leading up to the season opener against the Detroit Lions on September 12. The designation guaranteed the wide receiver would miss at least the first three weeks of the year. As it turns out, he will miss more.
Return of Harris Will Bolster Niners’ Injured Secondary
GettyFormer Broncos CB Davontae Harris is eligible to practice with the 49ers as of Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
The potential return of Harris would add depth to a depleted position group at cornerback. The Niners added Harris to the team in August to help fortify the defensive backfield amid a rash of injuries.
Starting cornerback Jason Verrett went down for the season in Week 1 with an ACL tear. The Niners’ other starter at corner, Emmanuel Moseley, missed the first two games of the year with his own knee issue, though he returned to the field on Sunday, September 26, against the Green Bay Packers.
But while last Sunday marked Moseley’s return, it also marked the departure of veteran cornerback Josh Norman, who is with the team on a one-year deal. Norman was knocked out after taking a helmet to the chest, which resulted in the corner spitting up blood and required an overnight hospital stay. His status for the Niners’ Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks remains undetermined, as he will be evaluated on a day-by-day basis.
San Francisco was interested in reuniting with former Niners cornerback Richard Sherman, before he signed on with Tom Brady and the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.
Sherman explained his decision as part of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.”
“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some great tape on, to lead another group,” he said. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win.”