The San Francisco 49ers and running back Carlos Hyde appear to have dodged a bullet. Hyde left the game in the third quarter following a hit to the head. He went to the locker room to be tested for a concussion, and the results were negative. He was cleared to return, but he stayed on the sideline the rest of the game. The 49ers were down big at the time, so it is not surprising he did not go back in the game.
It was a physically-demanding game for Hyde. He took a shot to the leg earlier in the game when a Steelers player led low with his helmet. It looked like Hyde's knee took a shot, but he was able to return later in the game. Hyde finished with 43 rushing yards yards and 18 receiving yards. He also had a critical fumble when the 49ers had a drive going in the second quarter.
When Hyde left after the knee shot, Jarryd Hayne handled snaps. When Hyde left with the head injury, Mike Davis took over the bulk of the snaps. Hayne finished the game with three yards on two carries, and two punt returns, one for seven yards, and one a fair catch. Davis finished the game with seven rushes for 14 yards, and two receptions for 14 yards.
The 49ers face the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday. Hyde will not have to go through the concussion protocol since he was cleared during the game. I imagine the 49ers will keep a close eye on him, but the head injury should not land him on the injury report. The leg/knee hit he took could still do so, but we'll see on Wednesday.