Hurst needs surgery in latest hit to 49ers’ D-line
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers‘ defensive line depth is being tested early in training camp, as defensive tackle Maurice Hurst suffered a torn biceps in Friday’s practice and will need surgery, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan said Hurst will “most likely” miss the entire 2022 season.
“We’ll see after surgery,” Shanahan said. “Usually that’s how biceps work out, but don’t know for sure.”
Hurst suffered the injury on a jet sweep run in which he simply reached out and grabbed at the runner as his arm gave out, Shanahan said.
Losing Hurst is another blow to the Niners’ defensive line, widely considered their deepest position group entering training camp. It comes just one day after Shanahan announced that Arik Armstead would miss “a few weeks” with a sprained right knee. Shanahan also noted Saturday that defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway has a mild quadriceps strain and will miss a couple of weeks.
Hurst had been working with the starting defense Friday as the Niners have been easing tackle Javon Kinlaw back in after his recovery from a torn right ACL suffered last season.
If Hurst misses the entire season, it would be a second straight disappointing campaign. The 2018 fifth-round pick battled ankle and calf injuries all of last season, which limited him to two games and 40 defensive snaps.
Absent Hurst, Armstead and Ridgeway, the Niners have signed a pair of defensive tackles — Robert Nkemdiche and Tomasi Laulile — in the past few days.
In better injury news for the defensive line, Kinlaw is expected to begin working in team drills in Saturday’s practice after spending the first few days getting reacclimated.
“I just want to see him get through practice and play some football,” Shanahan said. “Javon has got everything in his body and in his mindset that he’s going to be a hell of a player.”