Jalen Hurd’s NFL comeback was short-lived.
The Patriots placed the wide receiver on the reserve/retired list Tuesday after he suffered an undisclosed injury during Monday’s training camp practice.
Hurd was a third-round draft pick by the 49ers in 2019, but a string of serious injuries to his back and knee prevented him from ever playing a regular-season snap for San Francisco. The Niners released Hurd in November 2021, and he was out of football until New England signed him last week.
A roster long shot, the 27-year-old made one standout play in Patriots camp — a leaping touchdown from backup quarterback Bailey Zappe on Sunday — but couldn’t finish Monday’s practice and wasn’t on the field Tuesday.
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The Patriots filled Hurd’s spot on the 90-man roster by claiming wide receiver Thyrick Pitts off waivers from the Chicago Bears. Pitts is an undrafted rookie out of Delaware who caught 57 passes for 631 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Blue Hens last season.
Pitts will look to make an impression in a Patriots receiving corps that features JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Tre Nixon, Malik Cunningham, Ed Lee and Raleigh Webb.
The Patriots are scheduled to hold their seventh training camp practice Wednesday morning outside Gillette Stadium.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
