The San Francisco 49ers may be down to their fourth-string running back Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday told reporters in a pre-practice press conference that rookie running back Isaac Guerendo wouldn’t participate in the day’s session as he continues recovering from a foot sprain he sustained in the team’s 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 14.
Guerendo was in the starting lineup for the first time as a pro because of a knee injury for RB Christian McCaffrey and an ankle injury for RB Jordan Mason. Both players were placed on IR and opened the door for Guerendo, a 2024 fourth-round pick, to step into the starting lineup. He posted 128 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns before exiting against Chicago.
The 49ers didn’t have a practice Monday, but they released a projected participation report that listed Guerendo as a non-participant. It’s not a surprise he’s a non-participant again Tuesday. Shanahan on Monday said Guerendo’s status for Thursday is up in the air.
“The only idea I have is what I told you guys,” Shanahan said via conference call. “He’s got a foot sprain and definitely couldn’t go today. And so, we’ll see if he can go on Thursday, but definitely can’t go (Monday). It’s a quick turnaround, so we’ve got to evaluate him hard each day. I’ll be surprised if he does much tomorrow, but hopefully Thursday will be enough time for him.”
It’s not a great sign that Guerendo hasn’t been able to go the first couple days of the week. The good news for the 49ers is they don’t ultimately have to make a decision until 90 minutes before kickoff unless they rule him out on Wednesday’s injury report.
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