Given the current situation in his backfield, the They need a quick learning curve from rookie running back Isaac Guerendo.
San Francisco running back in the 49ers' defeat . McCaffrey's injury does not require surgery, but he does need surgery which will sideline the Pro Bowler for the remainder of the regular season.
49ers running back Jordan Mason also suffered an ankle injury against the Bills and has done so .
That means San Francisco is turning to its rookie running back in Guerendo. A fourth-round pick out of Louisville in the 2024 NFL draft, Guerendo has caught 42 receptions for 246 yards and two rushing touchdowns this season.
San Francisco from the But Guerendo is expected to be the 49ers' primary runner in San Francisco's Week 14 vs .
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan is being pushed into a starring role and is confident Guerendo is ready for the opportunity.
“I think he’s ready to go. We were excited to see him make a late start due to injuries in pre-season. I thought he did well in those games, especially with his kick return against the Raiders, I think.
“He did some good things in the beginning, not a lot of carries, had some ups and downs but got better through it all. And then when he got the bulk of the runs, I'll say something else compared to Seattle, he got better and has gotten better all year. So I think he’s ready for it,” Shanahan said.
Guerendo's two best games of the season came in San Francisco's Week 6 win and in Week 8 the 49ers victory over the .
The 6-foot, 221-pound running back ran 10 times for 99 yards and 14 times for 85 yards and a 4-yard rushing touchdown against the Cowboys in that 36-24 win at Seattle.
Shanahan said Guerendo is slowly getting a feel for what it takes to run effectively in the NFL.
“I just believe in the importance of running the ball in the nfl. I think it's going to take some time, guys. The more you get a feel for it, the more you can get used to it, the more repetitions you have, the more you can get used to it.
“How hard you have to hit things, how quickly these holes close, how when there's a hole you have to hit it at full speed and not hesitate at all, otherwise it'll just close like that.” We've seen that Things got better in practice and we saw that carry over to the games,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan also commented on the 49ers' addition of Abanikanda.
“I liked him leaving college. I didn't study him much in the nfl, but he was a guy I heard good things about in college and liked. And I know our scouting department thought he was the best available out there and stuff like that. That’s why I’m especially happy to have him here in our situation,” Shanahan said.
The 49ers (5-7) host Chicago on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PT and the game will be televised on Fox. San Francisco is looking to end a three-game losing streak.
