© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
One of the great questions for Kyle Shanahan this offseason is the health of Jalen Hurd. In his abbreviated offseason time last season, Hurd shows flashes that he could be a uniquely dominant and versatile force in the NFL. He’s antagonistically physical, as was evidenced by a pair of practice scuffles which resulted from him setting aggressive, but clean blocks.
So far, his offseason appears to be progressing with promise. General manager John Lynch was cautiously optimistic about Hurd’s health entering this season, and he’s been working out with Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Juszczyk, as he posted below.
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Hurd missed the entirety of what would have been his rookie campaign due to a stress reaction in his back (it was initially called a stress fracture, then re-labeled a stress reaction, though the difference is not significant). There was some hope he could return from injured reserve, but it was quickly dashed as it became apparent it was a long-term injury.
In his lone preseason appearance against the Dallas Cowboys, Hurd caught three passes for 31 yards, two of which were a pair of touchdowns. He said he was training at the F (fullback) and Z (flanker receiver, behind line of scrimmage, where Deebo Samuel plays) last offseason, but it’s very likely that the 49ers, if he’s healthy, would employ him at multiple positions, perhaps most frequently at tight end. He was a stellar running back at the University of Tennessee before transferring to Baylor to become a wide receiver to preserve his body.
He’s unlikely to be pinned down into one positional role, and contributes to the athletic, positional flexibility mold that the 49ers have pursued with players like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Kyle Juszczyk and Jauan Jennings.
