The 49ers are going to try and sneak injured tailback Kendall Hunter through waivers and onto injured reserve.
San Francisco waived Hunter with an “injured” designation on Monday, per the NFL’s transactions.
Hunter suffered an ACL tear in late July — an injury that likely ends his 2014 season. Also, he’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. In short, any team adding Hunter via waivers might not have him for a single snap this year and could lose him next offseason. However, they would have roughly six months to try and sign Hunter to a new deal.
Hunter is slated to make $645,000 in salary in 2014, according to NFLPA records.
By waiving the 25-year-old Hunter, the 49ers can conceivably use his roster spot to add another player as the preseason begins. However, they also risk a team snapping up Hunter, a solid reserve tailback when healthy.
Teams have shown a willingness to claim waived/injured players this summer, with Carolina losing tailback Tyler Gaffney to New England and Seattle losing offensive tackle Michael Bowie to Cleveland.