San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde spoke to the 49ers media Thursday afternoon, and told them he hopes to play Sunday vs. the New Orleans Saints, but he does not know for sure if he will be able to go. Earlier in the day, Chip Kelly also said, “I don’t know,” when asked about Hyde’s status for Sunday.
Hyde told the media he suffered a sprained AC joint, and while his shoulder is sore, it is much less so than after the Bills game in Week 6. A sprained AC joint can vary significantly in severity. One website suggests grades between 1 and 6. The site says surgery is usually not necessary for grades 1-3, but with professional athletes, you never know what their pain threshold is.
After Kelly’s comments this morning, I figured there was maybe a 50 percent chance of Hyde playing on Sunday. In light of Hyde’s own comments, I would lower my expectations to 30 or 40 percent. Those are entirely arbitrary numbers, so factor them in however you want.