The 49ers placed rookie cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. on the PUP list before the start of training camp. It turns out the injury was a bone bruise he sustained late in the team’s offseason program.
General manager John Lynch on Tuesday said the club expects Luter to return, but not until later in camp.
“Luter in one of the last OTAs hyper-extended his knee,” Lynch said. “It resulted in a deep bone bruise. He’s working his way back. Still has a few weeks. He’s a kid who really had impressed us throughout the whole draft process, but then in his work here.”
Lynch said Luter never left the team facility following his injury and is working his way through the rehab process.
San Francisco selected Luter in the fifth round out of South Alabama. He’s firmly in the mix for a roster spot in a cornerback room that could use some additional depth.
Missing a few weeks of camp may take him out of the running for any kind of significant defensive role, but there should be plenty of opportunities for special teams contributions and playing time as a reserve if he acquits himself well once he’s in camp with pads on.
