The San Francisco 49ers' terrible season got worse in Week 13 when running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason suffered injuries that will put the RBs on IR.
McCaffrey will be out for at least six weeks with a PCL injury in his knee, while Mason is recovering from a high ankle sprain. With only five games left in the season, it wouldn't be a surprise if both players miss the rest of the year.
That leaves a pretty big hole in the 49ers' backfield, where Mason and McCaffrey had scored on 203 of their 340 rushing attempts. Head coach Kyle Shanahan explained in a conference call with reporters on Monday how the team plans to operate with McCaffrey and Mason out.
“Yes, we have (rookie RB Isaac) Guerendo. Obviously he’s going to be up there,” Shanahan said. “We have (RB) Patrick (Taylor Jr.) here who is on our practice squad, who is definitely stepping up now, who was on our roster earlier in the year before Christian came back. And most likely we will have to look for another one.”
Guerendo is a fourth-round pick who has 246 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries this season. Taylor signed with the 49ers in the offseason and played some time on the active roster before McCaffrey returned from Achilles tendonitis. He managed 25 rushing yards on seven carries before being cut to make room for McCaffrey. The 49ers re-signed Taylor to the practice squad shortly after his release.
This is a prime opportunity for Guerendo to take on a long-term role. With Mason set to hit free agency next offseason, the 49ers may be looking for a No. 2 RB to slot in behind McCaffrey, and Guerendo will be their best option if he performs well as the lead back.
San Francisco's likely option if they add another RB is Ke'Shawn Vaughn, who was on the 49ers' practice squad after spending the preseason with the team. Veteran Matt Breida was also with the club during the preseason but never re-signed to the practice squad. Vaughn's familiarity with the team and offense makes him a logical choice unless the 49ers want another free agent as a potential long-term option and want to get to know him in practice.
