Yahoo Sports 49ers RB depth chart: Isaac Guerendo takes over after Christian McCaffrey injury
The San Francisco 49ers suffered two key injuries to their offensive backfield during their 35-10 "Sunday Night Football" loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13.
Early in the contest, starting running back Christian McCaffrey left the game after suffering a knee injury. He was replaced by his top backup, Jordan Mason. However, Mason suffered an ankle injury later in the game and had to exit as well.
On Monday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that McCaffrey had suffered a PCL injury that would likely end his season, while Mason suffered a high-ankle sprain. Both running backs ended up on IR, further depleting a running back room that had already lost veteran Elijah Mitchell to a season-ending hamstring injury.
Who do the 49ers have left in their running back room? Here's a look at the thin, inexperienced crew looking to lead the San Francisco backfield over the season's final five weeks.
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49ers RB depth chart
After McCaffrey and Mason's injuries, the 49ers have just two healthy running backs remaining in their organization. One is on the 53-man roster, and the other is on the practice squad.
They are as follows:
Guerendo, a fourth-round rookie out of Louisville, is expected to have a chance to operate as San Francisco's lead back with McCaffrey and Mason sidelined.
Isaac Guerendo fantasy outlook
Guerendo has been used sparingly but has racked up 246 yards and two touchdowns on 42 rushes, good for a 5.9 yards per carry average.
Guerendo has often shown off his impressive speed (he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds at the 2024 NFL Combine) when on the field. He tallied 19 yards and a touchdown on four carries against the Bills. He had a career-high 17 touches and 102 total yards when the 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-24 in Week 8, so it appears that the 6' 0'', 221-pound back is capable of handling a full workload.
Taylor is more experienced than Guerendo, as he is in his fifth NFL season. He spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers and has tallied 286 yards and a touchdown on 72 carries (good for a yards-per-carry average of 4).
Taylor has just eight total touches and 37 yards in eight games for the 49ers this season. He will likely see more action after the injuries to the backs ahead of him.
San Francisco will likely add another running back to its roster to ensure the team is three-deep at the position. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk and wide receiver Deebo Samuel could also see an uptick in carries as the team figures out the best way to replace McCaffrey and Mason.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 49ers RB depth chart: Impacts of Christian McCaffrey injury
