49ers' Kyle Shanahan isn't optimistic that Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd will return

The status of wide receivers Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd came into question today during Kyle Shanahan's press conference. The feeling from him and the team is that they are not optimistic about their return.

When the San Francisco 49ers made the trade to acquire Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders, it showed that the team believes they can make a serious playoff run. 

However, that wasn't the only thing the trade showed. Acquiring a receiver, especially a slot receiver, was an indicator of the status of Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan gave clarity of their situation when David Lombardi of The Athletic asked him if he still has hope for their return. "Not as much hope as earlier.” Shanahan answered. 

Shanahan said both Trent Taylor (foot) and Jalen Hurd (back) have dealt with “a couple of setbacks” and the team isn’t as optimistic about them coming off injured reserve in a month.

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) October 23, 2019

The 49ers are not optimistic that either of them will be activated off injured reserve after setbacks. Whether the setbacks occurred recently or if they are the same ones are unclear. 

Either way you look at it, Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd are not in an ideal spot. It starts to make more sense why the 49ers felt the need to trade for a wide receiver. Of course, the position was already lacking since no one has stepped up to stake their claim as a dominant force. 

Kyle Shanahan has been challenging his receivers since training camp and not a single player has answered the call. Now with the health of Taylor and Hurd looking bleak, the decision to trade for Emmanuel Sanders became a no-brainer. Waiting for these two would have been a major risk since the trade deadline is coming up in a week.

 It is better to make the trade for Sanders than to feel regret about not making a move. For all we know, Taylor and Hurd will be ready to go by the time their eligible for activation. In that case, the 49ers are in an even greater spot.

The 49ers are, barring an implosion, practically a lock to make the playoffs. With an experienced talent such as Sanders, their offense now takes on a new angle of attack.