San Francisco 49ers running back Kendall Hunter is out for the season with an Achilles injury suffered in Sunday’s victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Hunter and wide receiver Kyle Williams, backups with regular roles in the offense and on special teams were placed on injured reserve. Williams has a torn ACL; Hunter reportedly has a torn left Achilles, an injury the 49ers reported as an ankle injury when he left last week’s game.
The 49ers promoted running back Jewel Hampton from the non-football injury list to the active roster. He signed as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Illinois despite heavy interest from teams with clearer openings to playing time because he said San Francisco showed the most interest in having him.
Hunter is the primary backup to starter Frank Gore, and the 49ers haven’t used Brandon Jacobs or rookie LaMichael James in the base offense. James has yet to be active for a game in 2012. Jacobs has one carry for one yard in his first season with the 49ers. His first carry was negated by a penalty.
“You saw (Jacobs) in the game,” coach Jim Harbaugh said of Jacobs’ two carries against the Saints. “He had two carries, one where he really worked his way for a three- or four-yard first down and we had a penalty on that play as well. Yeah, he’s been doing some good things and showing some good things.”
A transfer from Iowa, Hampton ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and did 26 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. He missed most of 2010 and the entire 2009 season with the Hawkeyes because of ACL injuries and then started the 2012 season with the 49ers on the “NFI” list because he needed bone spurs removed.