There is always another injury crisis, and for the second time this season, it’s in the 49ers’ backfield. You may remember in Week 4, when Trey Sermon got his only extended opportunity in Week 5, with Jacques Patrick and Trenton Cannon bookending him.
Week 14 provides a similar set of circumstances. Elijah Mitchell is in the concussion protocol along with Cannon. Jeff Wilson Jr. had a flare up in his knee — a persistent issue — but is day-to-day. Sermon is on injured reserve. JaMycal Hasty is the team’s only healthy back at this point, and he’s coming off an injured reserve stint with an ankle sprain.
That’s why the 49ers are taking a flier on veteran running back Brian Hill, as first reported by Matt Maiocco and later confirmed by Kyle Shanahan. Hill has bounced around the league but mostly saw the field during his time with the Atlanta Falcons, from 2018-2020.
During that three year period, Hill had 198 rushing attempts for 982 yards (4.8 average) and three touchdowns. He also had 36 receptions for 277 yards and a TD.
Hill is being signed as a member of the practice squad but could be activated by Sunday depending on how the injury situation plays out this week.