Carlos Hyde‘s second season never came close to equaling what the 49ers running back delivered to start it. After a lingering foot injury kept Hyde off the field for more than seven weeks, the 49ers ended their top ball-carrier’s season by placing Hyde on injured reserve, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (on Twitter).
Hyde gashed the Vikings for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Vikings. Neither his season nor the 49ers’ reached those heights again. Hyde hasn’t played since Week 7, and he only gained more than 55 rushing yards on one other occasion in 2015.
Jim Tomsula hinted this was a possibility earlier this week, and this latest setback furthers one of the more incredible makeovers in recent NFL history.
With Reggie Bush also on IR, journeyman Shaun Draughn‘s assumed the starting responsibility in the San Francisco backfield. As for Hyde’s roster spot, the 49ers promoted tight end Brian Leonhardt from the practice squad.
The 24-year-old Hyde finished with 470 rushing yards in seven games. The promising start helped him notch a career high after the team’s 2014 second-round selection rushed for 333 spelling Frank Gore last season.
An infamously durable back, Gore’s missed just one contest since 2011. Hyde will have missed 11 in his two slates after this season’s conclusion.