Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan went onto KNBR's Tolbert, Krueger, and Brooks show earlier today, making his second appearance within the last week.
While the quarterbacks were obviously the talk of the town, Shanahan provided some detail on two of the team's receivers fighting to make the 53-man roster: Jalen Hurd and Travis Benjamin.
Jalen Hurd, who has yet to play in an NFL regular-season game despite being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, returned to practice this week and was a participant in team drills both Wednesday and Thursday, sparking optimism from Shanahan that the receiver could make an appearance this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders in the team's third and final preseason game.
When asked what was expected of Hurd in the final outing before the regular season, Shanahan focused more on the health of the third-year player rather than a wow factor to solidify his spot on the team.
"It's not about showing us that he can make [the 53-man roster]. If Hurd's healthy and he's ready to go, there's a reason we drafted him. I mean, Hurd's going to be a hell of a player, but he's been battling some serious injuries these last two years and what's been great this week is he's been out there."
While it has been a small sample size of only two practices, Shanahan likes what he's seen from the receiver given the amount of reps he's played and even said that Hurd could get playing time on Sunday, should he remain healthy.
"We've had two really hard practices [and] he's made them two days in a row in as much reps as he's had since he's been here," Shanahan said. "We just finished our second one, [so] I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, but he got through it, he looked good, and I hope he comes back tomorrow feeling good, and hopefully he gets some playing time here on Sunday if he feels right."
In addition to Hurd, Shanahan shed light on Benjamin, who has been in the spotlight over the past few weeks following strong training camp and preseason performances, as a player who could definitely add something new to the team.
The 49ers head coach acknowledged the speed that the team possessed and values Benjamin's ability as not only a speed threat, but a physical one as well.
"Speed is something that we value a lot and that's something that we had a little bit when we first started, but we were missing some of the more physical receivers. Now, we got a little more physical receivers and at times, we're missing some speed, so a guy like Travis [Benjamin], he could help us a lot at a certain level."
Shanahan also addressed that the team will likely carry only six receivers, but didn't give a confirmation on whether Benjamin could be one of them, although he's been happy with what he's seen so far.
Said Shanahan, "when you can blow the top off, whether they guard you or they don't, it opens up the whole field [and opens] up bigger windows. So, it's been good for Travis, seeing him make a couple plays in these last two games, and we'll see how this pans out [and if] he'll be one of our six [receivers on the 53-man roster]."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
The San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-23 win on Sunday, overcoming a tight first half to generate a double-digit lead until the last play of the game, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Now, the 49ers are getting ready to host their season opener, and it comes in primetime, as San Francisco will play the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football at Levi's Stadium this week.
The Giants have started their season with two very different games, losing 40-0 to the Dallas Cowboys in the opener before making a comeback in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals for a 31-28 win.
However, they may be without star running back Saquon Barkley, who suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2, potentially putting an even bigger onus on quarterback Daniel Jones against the
The San Francisco 49ers head home to host the New York Giants in their season home opener on Thursday Night Football. After a hard fight in LA, the 49ers look to continue their streak to a 3-0 record. Here are the keys to another 49ers victory.
Stop the Run
The 49ers are tied for third against the run, allowing 65 yards per game. With Saquon Barkley's (ankle injury) officially ruled out, the 49ers must prepare for Matt Breida and quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones has 102 rushing yards
This week's focus remains on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The team has a short week to prepare for its next opponent—the New York Giants on Thursday night at Levi's Stadium. The matchup comes just four days after the Niners' 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Aiyuk suffered a shoulder injury on his first catch, a 13-yard reception during San Francisco's opening drive. He was in and out of the lineup throughout the game and was limited during the 49ers' light Tuesday practice.
On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that the decision will come down to how Aiyuk feels and the evaluation from the training staff. It sounds like the receiver may end up being a
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently attracted criticism for bizarrely questioning San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's worthiness of the "franchise quarterback" label because his name resembled "Turdy."
"I think people have a hard time looking at that name and saying that's a franchise quarterback," Florio noted.
The Pro Football Talk writer joined 95.7 The Game on Wednesday morning and explained the comments, noting that they were part of a broader conversation about why some are reluctant to embrace the 49ers' second-year player as a franchise quarterback.
RELATED:
