The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back reserve running back Kendall Hunter for 2015 despite missing all of this season with a torn ACL
Kendall Hunter and the 49ers agreed to a contract extension to keep him in San Francisco through the 2015 season, the team announced on Monday in what was a busy day for the team’s reserve running backs. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.
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Hunter tore his ACL in training camp and is out for the season but the team did not want to risk losing him in free agency after rushing for 1,202 yards on 262 rushing attempts for a 4.6-yard average with seven touchdowns in 43 career games as a change-of-pace back to Frank Gore.
With the likelihood that Marcus Lattimore is going to retire after being unable to recover form his knee injuries suffered in his final season at South Carolina, the club reached an agreement to shore up the 26-year-old Hunter.
The team drafted Lattimore in the fourth round of last year’s draft and hoped he would be able to contribute next season, but with him contemplating retirement, the window opened up for Hunter to re-sign with the team to serve as a complementary back to Gore and second round pick, Carlos Hyde, who has been the team’s No. 2 back this year.
Gore is in the final year of his contract and turns 32 in May so the team could elect to let him walk and let Hyde handle the starting duties which would mean one less back to compete with for carries for Hunter, although the team could draft another back in the spring or sign one in free agency.
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