Patriots reportedly fill out roster by signing wide receiver Jalen Hurd

FOXBORO -- The Patriots filled out their roster Monday by reportedly signing wide receiver Jalen Hurd. 

The 27-year-old Hurd was a third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, but injuries have kept him from appearing in a regular season game. He spent his first three seasons in the NFL on IR and was waived by San Francisco in 2021. He did not play for anyone during the 2022 season.

But after working him out Monday afternoon, the Patriots apparently liked what they saw and decided to give Hurd a chance. The move was first reported by Jordan Schultz.

As a running back for Tennessee, Hurd ran for 20 touchdowns over 33 games. He transferred to Baylor in 2018 and made the move to receiver, catching 69 passes for 946 yards and four touchdowns. 

He missed his rookie season with the 49ers due to a back injury, and then suffered a torn ACL in training camp in 2020. He was sidelined by a knee injury in 2021 and was released by the 49ers that November. 

During his first press conference of training camp Tuesday morning, Bill Belichick said that the team will have Hurd line up at receiver.