Carlos Hyde Injury: 49ers RB Injures Knee vs. Rams, Ruled Out for Week 17

San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde sprained his MCL against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 and although it won't require surgery, he will miss the regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly announced on Monday. 

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com noted the injury occurred when Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines hit Hyde in the knees while attempting to force a fumble.

Injuries have been a continuous theme through Hyde's first three years in the league. He missed two games as a rookie and then played seven games in 2015 before a stress fracture in his foot ended his season. This year, Hyde was suffering from a shoulder injury in San Francisco's Week 6 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.

Little has gone right for the 49ers in 2016, so it's fitting that Hyde—one of the few productive members of the offense—is unavailable once again.

His absence highlights how thin San Francisco's backfield is. Shaun Draughn is on his sixth team in as many years in the NFL, while DuJuan Harris has similarly struggled at his previous three stops before landing in the Bay Area. 

Neither Blaine Gabbert nor Colin Kaepernick has played well, and it's clear the Niners need to address the quarterback position in the offseason.

Since this is a lost year in San Francisco, it's smart that the 49ers' primary concern with Hyde is doing what's best for his long-term health for 2017 and beyond.