Kendall Hunter Injury: Updates on 49ers RB's Knee and Recovery

Updates from Tuesday, August 5

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has the latest on Kendall Hunter's status after he was placed on waivers by the 49ers:

Updates from Sunday, July 27

Jim Harbaugh spoke about Kendall Hunter's knee injury on Sunday, via Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group:

Updates from Saturday, July 26

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports bad news for Hunter regarding his knee:

The 49ers confirmed the bad news, according to ESPN's Bill Williamson:

Original Text

The San Francisco 49ers received a potentially grim blow to their backfield situation, as backup running back Kendall Hunter left practice with an apparent knee injury Friday afternoon.

ESPN's Ed Werder first reported the news:

A report from CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco gave further insight regarding how Hunter sustained the injury:

"

Hunter sustained the injury when his knee buckled after catching a swing pass from backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert. After he was checked by medical staff for a number of minutes, Hunter walked back to the locker room under his own power for further evaluation. There was no immediate update on Hunter's condition.

"

Hunter's steady play has been a key component of the 49ers' recent success. The former Oklahoma State standout rushed for 358 yards and three touchdowns with a strong 4.6 yards per carry last season, per Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Hunter is no threat as a receiver, but any long-term absence would place added pressure on 31-year-old Frank Gore, who will lead the team in the backfield at an age when many running backs face a serious decline in production.

It will be up to the largely untested LaMichael James and rookie Carlos Hyde to step up in the 49ers backfield should Hunter face a long spell on the sidelines.

Check back for further updates regarding Hunter's injury situation.