Jalen Hurd was supposed to ease into training camp after missing all of last season with a back injury. His work with a trainer on a side field during Sunday’s session ended early when he fell down awkwardly according to Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee.
Hurd stayed on the ground for awhile before getting up and leaving the field under his own power.
While the extent of the injury is unknown, it’s not a great sign early in camp for a player that wasn’t working at full speed yet. Hurd, a third-round pick in 2019 out of Baylor, suffered a stress fracture in his back leading up to the second preseason game. He played a handful of snaps in that contest before exiting. The injury forced him out for his entire rookie campaign.
The 49ers’ plan was to ease him into a full workload according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Hurd was a running back for three years in college before transitioning to receiver when he transferred from the University of Tennessee to Baylor. He figures to be a Swiss Army knife in Shanahan’s ‘position-less’ offense when he is healthy.
Any more extended missed time could wind up limiting Hurd’s role even if he is available during the season. He’ll need time to learn the offense at multiple spots while continuing to hone his skills as a receiver. Any time he’s away from the field is time lost in that development.
There’s no update yet on the extent of his injury, but we’ll provide one when it becomes available.