LISTEN: Why all positions (Except QB) Should Be In Play In The Draft →
placeholder image

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


49ers consulted spine specialists before deciding to place Jalen Hurd on IR, says John Lynch

Oct 3, 2019 at 5:04 PM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers were very hopeful rookie wide receiver Jalen Hurd would return from his back injury and contribute in a significant way this season. He still may, but it won't be until, at the earliest, after Week 12. The 49ers placed Hurd on injured reserve on Thursday, which will force him to sit out at least the next eight games.

Hurd injured his back during the preseason and has not played or practiced since then. He was inactive for the 49ers' first three games.

San Francisco could have placed Hurd on injured reserve earlier this season, which would have made him available sooner, but the team wasn't sure when he would be back at 100 percent.

"Anytime you have a stress fracture in your back, that was the hard thing with it," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Thursday. "There are guys that have come back in three weeks, and there are guys who it takes 10 weeks, and there's just as good of a chance to come back in three weeks as there is 10 weeks. We took that chance."

Obviously, the 49ers were gambling on Hurd potentially returning closer to three weeks rather than 10. That wasn't the case.

They gambled and lost.

RELATED 49ers 'encouraged about the future' with injured CB Jason Verrett, says John Lynch

"It hasn't been healing the way we wanted it to," Shanahan continued. "The pain is still there, so we've got to give him at least another month. That's the reason why we've got to put him on IR."

General manager John Lynch joined KNBR on Thursday and discussed what went into the decision to place Hurd on injured reserve.

"We were really excited about the prospect of getting Jalen back in our offense," Lynch said on the "Tolbert, Krueger and Brooks" show. "I think everyone just — not as much as we did — but got a sample of what he could bring to our offense; a very versatile tool that we could use, a very physical football player. He had presence.

"[He] was somebody who we were really excited to work with. Unfortunately, he got this stress reaction, stress fracture in his back, and there's a wide range on how these things heal. We tried to take a conservative approach, and it still wasn't healed. It was healing, but it wasn't all the way healed, and he still had a massive amount of pain.

"We just had no other choice. We consulted our [doctors], and they consulted spine specialists, and they just said, 'Look, the only thing that's going to help this now is about six to eight weeks worth of rest.'

"He can do some rehab, but it just needed more time. So, unfortunately, we had to do that."

The 49ers made Hurd a third-round pick out of Baylor in April.

You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.




Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

49ers actively negotiating with Brandon Aiyuk, not discussing trades, says John Lynch

By David Bonilla
Mar 25

General manager John Lynch addressed reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Monday, emphasizing the San Francisco 49ers' active pursuit of a contract extension for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. There has been significant speculation surrounding Aiyuk's status this offseason. The receiver is slated to play on his fifth-year option, which guarantees him $14.124 million in 2024. While the team would be content with Aiyuk playing on that fifth-year option, it would prefer to secure the star receiver to a long-term deal before he returns to the field. RELATED: Brandon Aiyuk reacts to John Lynch's latest contract negotiation


placeholder image

49ers GM John Lynch attends Michigan Pro Day

By David Bonilla
Mar 22

As expected, Michigan's Pro Day has a significant NFL presence. The event features 18 draft-eligible players from the national champion's roster. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy reports that San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch is among those in attendance. Lynch is one of nine general managers on hand to evaluate the draft hopefuls. PRO-DAY UPDATE: Only fitting that national champs @UMichFootball, with record 18 Combine invitees, have biggest NFL turnout for pro-day.Here's list of NFL attendees who'll


placeholder image

John Lynch explains 49ers' draft penalty

By David Bonilla
Mar 25

A week ago, the NFL penalized the San Francisco 49ers for payroll accounting errors. As punishment, the team forfeited a 2025 fifth-round draft pick and had its fourth-round pick in next month's draft moved to the end of the round. On Monday, general manager John Lynch addressed reporters at the NFL owners meetings and explained the punishment more thoroughly. "I have a difference of opinion on the severity of the discipline. We take accountability for what happened," Lynch said. He revealed that the 49ers overpaid an unspecified player $75,000 during the COVID era, labeling the mistake as a "clerical error" after implementing a new system. "We own


placeholder image

John Lynch explains 49ers' free-agency moves

By David Bonilla
Mar 25

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch addressed reporters on Monday at the NFL owners meetings, shedding light on the team's recent free-agency moves. The most notable move was signing pass rusher Leonard Floyd to a two-year contract. The 49ers also secured defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos on a two-year deal. Lynch explained the rationale behind opting for multi-year contracts, highlighting the desire for stability on the defensive line. "We did some two-year deals on the D-line, so we don't have to do this every year. It gets hard," Lynch remarked with a smile. Lynch delved into the specifics of each signing, starting with Floyd, emphasizing the player's consistency and high level of competitiveness. DE Leonard


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone