Will Isaac Guerendo play this week? Injury updates for 49ers RB

49ers running back Isaac Guerendo is dealing with a hamstring injury. Here are the latest updates.

The San Francisco 49ers can’t catch a break in their offensive backfield.

It started in training camp when running back Christian McCaffrey was shut down with what turned out to be Achilles tendinitis. RB Elijah Mitchell was also placed on season-ending IR in August with a hamstring issue.

RB Jordan Mason filled in admirably to start the year, but he was hit with a shoulder injury in Week 6 that he battled until McCaffrey’s return in Week 10. McCaffrey and Mason were both hurt in a Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, which pushed rookie fourth-round pick RB Isaac Guerendo into the starting role.

Guerendo hurt his foot in Week 14, but played in Week 15 where he sustained a hamstring injury.

Isaac Guerendo injury update

Guerendo has been ruled out for Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins. He dealt with a hamstring injury in training camp that cost him most of camp and the first two preseason games. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated early in the week that Guerendo was a longshot to play. After not practicing all week he was listed as ‘out’ on the official injury report.

How long will Isaac Guerendo be out?

It’s unclear how long Guerendo’s absence will be. He showed promise in the reps he get as the 49ers’ primary RB, but the coaching staff will likely want to see more in-game opportunities for him in his rookie season. That doesn’t mean they’ll rush him into action, though. With three games left and nothing on the line there’s no real reason to risk a longer-term injury that may impact him into 2025.

49ers RB depth chart

Shanahan on Friday said veteran RB Patrick Taylor would ‘most likely’ get the starting role in Miami. Behind him on the active roster is Israel Abanikanda. Ke’Shawn Vaughn is on the practice squad and could be either elevated or promoted Saturday. If Vaughn is promoted to the active roster it would come with a corresponding move to clear a roster spot.

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What to expect from ‘likely’ new 49ers starting RB

It’ll be a 4th different starting RB for the 49ers on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers will roll out a fourth different starting running back Sunday when they visit the Miami Dolphins.

Rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo had been pushed into the starting role when RBs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason both suffered injuries in a Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Now Guerendo is dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him out of the 49ers’ Week 16 game in Miami.

With the rookie also on the sideline, the 49ers are ‘most likely’ turning to fourth-year veteran Patrick Taylor according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan on Friday told reporters Taylor’s experience with the club and his performance as a special teams contributor earned him the starting job.

“Yeah. He’s been here since training camp,” Shanahan said. “He’s done a real good job for us, played in this league before, has experience there at Green Bay and when he’s gotten his opportunities with us he’s ran the ball well. And when he hasn’t run the ball, he’s really helped us on special teams. So, big opportunity for him and glad we’ve got him.”

Taylor was on the active roster to begin the year while McCaffrey worked through an Achilles injury. He became expendable once McCaffrey returned and the 49ers released him before re-signing him to their practice squad.

This season Taylor has played in 10 games and notched 50 rushing yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. He might eclipse those season totals Sunday with unreliable depth behind him.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn will likely be up from the practice squad, but he’s primarily been a special teams contributor and has two separate practice squad stints after spending part of the preseason with San Francisco.

Israel Abanikanda is also on the roster after the 49ers claimed him off waivers from the Jets. He’s only been with the team three weeks and hasn’t been able to get on the field.

While the 49ers may rotate in other RBs more than they would have with a player higher on the depth chart starting, chances are Taylor will see a lion’s share of the rushing and receiving workload with a chance to eclipse his season totals in one game.

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Kyle Shanahan explains how he’ll reinvent 49ers offense in offseason

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t make major changes to his offense, but their will be some.

The San Francisco 49ers need to do something different offensively.

Last season they were one of the best outfits in the NFL. This season they’ve sputtered on that side of the ball. Injuries certainly played a role, but it doesn’t appear that whatever the 49ers have been doing offensively can work without players like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk available and playing at a high level.

Those struggles, including 10 points in each of Week 12 and 13, followed by a six-point performance in Week 15, have led to questions about the viability of Shanahan’s offense as presently constructed. Shanahan said any adaptations to his offense will be based on what’s best for the team’s personnel.

“That’s what you try to do every single week,” Shanahan said. “That’s what you try to always do. But it’s kind of like the other question when talking about schemes, you don’t just say, ‘Hey, today I’m going to try to run the wishbone offense and stuff.’ It’s what are the players that you have, what do you believe in and what gives those guys the best chance to succeed? For a little bit here, we almost went with the running quarterback, possibly with [Dallas Cowboys QB] Trey [Lance]. You saw a different offense when he got out there.

“You see different things. You’ve got to adjust your players. I know what I want to do. I think we’ve got the players here to do that stuff. But reinventing yourself as you ask, I did that having a mustache this offseason for a little bit. That’s how I would look at that. And I’m totally joking, but it’s when it comes to football, football’s, that’s why I think coaches get a little too much credit too when a really good scheme is putting the players that you have in the best chance they have to max out and do their best. That’s what we’re gonna always try to do. The scheme will change with that.”

It stands to reason in 2025 we’ll see less reliance on McCaffrey given the team’s issues scoring in the red zone without him this season. There’s also likely to be an adjustment to a version of Samuel that hasn’t been able to take over games via screen passes and designed runs.

Whatever changes need to be made on offense for the 49ers, adapting isn’t something new to Shanahan.

“When I got in the league, you see certain things and I ran a certain offense at Houston when I was there, went to Washington, tried to do a real similar offense and it was totally different personnel and I realized I couldn’t run that same thing and I had to adjust and each year was different,” Shanahan said. “Then we got [Washington Commanders former QB] Robert [Griffin III] in there, which was a quarterback who had a running element, then I had to do stuff that I’d never done before. Not because you’re just reinventing yourself or trying to change the league because you’re trying to figure out what can help the guys that you have be successful. And that can change all the time depending on the player’s skillset.

“But, I’d say as a coach that if you want to make it in this league and you want to have some success in this league you better be able to adjust to anything or you’re only going to be successful when you have the perfect situations.”

How Shanahan tweaks his offense to whatever his personnel is after the offseason will be the greatest factor in determining whether the 49ers are able to open another Super Bowl window.

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49ers TE George Kittle has huge chance to bolster Hall of Fame resume

The Pro Football Hall of Fame could come calling for San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle one day.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle isn’t a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as his eighth NFL season comes to a close.

However, a strong finish to the 2024 campaign would help Kittle refine a career resumé that has him on track to wind up in Canton once he hangs up his pads.

Entering Week 16, Kittle needs only 45 receiving yards to eclipse New England Patriots legend and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski for the second-most receiving yards all time for a tight end in his first eight seasons. Kittle has 7,135 receiving yards as the 49ers journey to Miami for their Week 16 bout. Gronkowski posted 7,179 in his first eight years. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is first on the list with a whopping 7,881 receiving yards.

It’s not just the first eight years that have been impressive for Kittle, however. He’s also moving up the all-time NFL ranks among tight ends in career marks.

He’s on pace to finish 2024 with 1,077 receiving yards, giving him 7,351 for his career. That would put him at No. 12 all-time in receiving yards among tight ends with a real chance to enter the top-10 in the 2025 season.

Kittle is also No. 17 in receptions – which is where he’s on pace to finish the season. He needs just one touchdown in the final three contests to take sole possession of No. 13 all-time in receiving TDs by a tight end.

The biggest key for Kittle’s Hall of Fame candidacy will be longevity. After a dip in production from 2020 through 2022, he’s had a career revitalization with quarterback Brock Purdy under center and suddenly he looks like a player who could maintain high-end production for the foreseeable future.

If Kittle can finish 2024 strong and put together another season or two of the elite production we’ve seen over the last two seasons, he would have a strong case to cap his career with a gold jacket.

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49ers superstar downgraded in updated Week 16 practice report

Nick Bosa was limited for Wednesday’s practice. He was out for Thursday’s session.

It’s unlikely we see the San Francisco 49ers ‘tank’ to close the 2024 season with so much on the line for so many players.

However, it wouldn’t be a shock if some of their injured veterans who have contractual security wind up taking a step back instead of battling through their ailments.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday indicated left tackle Trent Williams may wind up being shut down for the year. In Thursday’s practice report defensive end Nick Bosa also showed up as a non-participant following a limited session Wednesday.

Bosa is working through hip and oblique injuries that cost him three games before he stepped back into the lineup for Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The obvious concern for the 49ers as they navigate the fine line between finishing out the season strong and not jeopardizing their key veterans’ health in the future is keeping players like Bosa healthy for the 2025 season. Scaling him back in the run up to Week 16 isn’t a major surprise. It would be equally unsurprising if he winds up slowing down his attempts to return by season’s end with an eye toward a fully healthy 2025 campaign.

Did not participate

DT Maliek Collins (illness)
RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)

Limited participation

LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles, knee)
OT Jaylon Moore (hip)
S Malik Mustapha (chest)
G Nick Zakelj (illness)

Full participation

G Aaron Banks (elbow)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (groin)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)
LB Dee Winters (neck)

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New injury update for Isaac Guerendo isn’t promising for 49ers rookie

The San Francisco 49ers will have a fourth different starting RB against the Miami Dolphins.

The San Francisco 49ers are going to have a fourth different starting running back this season according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Running back Isaac Guerendo suffered a hamstring injury in the 49ers’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and is unlikely to suit up Sunday for the team’s Week 16 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Guerendo was absent from Wednesday’s practice because of the injury.

It’s the second consecutive game the 49ers rookie RB has suffered an injury. He also hurt his foot in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears and was questionable to play in Week 15. He put together a strong outing on the short turnaround to Thursday night, but exited the contest with a new issue.

Guerendo played in only 41 games across five college seasons in part because of injuries. This is the second time as a rookie he’s missed time with a hamstring ailment. He also missed almost all of training camp with the same issue.

With Guerendo out, the 49ers will likely turn to RB Patrick Taylor who has been the backup with Guerendo starting. San Francisco also has Israel Abanikanda who they acquired off waivers from the New York Jets after RBs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason went down with injuries. Ke’Shawn Vaughn is also on the practice squad and may get promoted to the active roster if there’s a player the 49ers wind up placing on IR with three weeks to go.

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49ers have tough decisions to make with 2 star free agents

San Francisco is weighing stardom vs. availability when evaluating LB Dre Greenlaw and S Talanoa Hufanga’s pending free agencies.

San Francisco will have a series of franchise-altering decisions to make when the 2025 offseason arrives.

Among those are what to do with pending defensive free agents in linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Greenlaw has been a staple of San Francisco’s defense during his six seasons with the franchise. Alongside Fred Warner, Greenlaw has helped form one of the NFL’s best linebacking duos.

Even before his Achilles injury in Super Bowl LVIII that sidelined him until last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Greenlaw’s career has been hampered by nagging quad, groin, calf and hamstring injuries. Since being selected in the 2019 NFL draft, Greenlaw has missed 34 games.

The results speak for themselves, though. As ESPN’s Nick Wagoner shared, San Francisco’s defense limits opponents to 19.7 points per game and boasts a 44-19 record in its 63 regular season games with Greenlaw.

In the 34 games without Greenlaw, San Francisco is just 16-18 and allows 21.1 points per game.

Selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Hufanga was a first-team All-Pro in the 2022 season. Hufanga has played in just four games this season and entered the year working his way back from a torn ACL in his right knee that ended his 2023 season in November of last year.

After returning from his ACL injury to begin the 2024 campaign, subsequent ankle and wrist injuries shelved him for most of this season.

On Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked how the team will weigh the duo’s respective star power against their availability when the offseason and their pending free agencies arrive.

“That goes into factoring everything. That’s what’s unfortunate. Nothing those two guys can do differently about it. But those are two of the better players I’ve been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the main reasons we’ve had the success here we’ve had. So, hopefully we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they’re as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I can think of,” Shanahan said.

It’s clear that Shanahan has an affinity for the duo and would like to keep both Greenlaw and Hufanga around.

Shanahan wasn’t surprised that both stepped right in and played well in their respective returns either.

“That’s what they’ve done the other times. One of the best games I’ve seen a linebacker play is, I think ’21, when Dre played in Week One versus Detroit and didn’t come back until Week 17 versus the Rams. We needed that game to go to the playoffs and that was the first time I’ve seen someone miss 16 games and come back and play at that level. So it doesn’t surprise me at all,” Shanahan said of Greenlaw.

“Huf’s, he came back earlier in this year and with having a wrist injury and stuff, he’s been able to get ready for this opportunity a little bit more than coming off his ACL that he had before that. So Huf’s been chomping at the bit to get back and he was more ready for that moment.”

In his season debut, Greenlaw played just 30 defensive snaps before exiting with knee and Achilles soreness, but he racked up a quick eight tackles and the 49ers limited the Rams to just 12 points.

Hufanga tallied five tackles in a 38-13 blowout win over the Chicago Bears in Week 14. San Francisco held Chicago to just four yards of first-half offense in that victory over the Bears, which was the lowest mark of any NFL offense in a first half this season.

Then, against the Rams last week, Hufanga totaled eight tackles and 1.5 stuffs.

Even with possible free agency looming, Shanahan said that pair can help provide an energy to the 49ers’ locker room during these final three games of the season.

“A ton. I think you guys can see how, I think Huf going out there the Sunday before, and I think our safeties have played pretty good this year too, but just Huf the person and his communication and just having him out there I think was very inspiring.

“And then adding Dre the next week, or four days later, one, how good of a player he is and how big of a difference he makes just from that, but the style of how he plays really adds to our defense and makes everyone else better around him, not just adding a good player,” Shanahan said.

San Francisco (6-8) hopes that the spark from that duo can roll on into this week when the 49ers travel to Miami (6-8) to battle the Dolphins from Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff on Sunday is set for 1:25 p.m. PT.

1 big offensive adjustment 49ers must make in final 3 games of 2024 season

It’s Ricky Pearsall time.

With the postseason all but out of their grasp, the San Francisco 49ers can now start operating with the 2025 season in mind.

That doesn’t mean the dreaded ‘tank’ where the team tries losing games to improve its draft position. It does mean they should be looking to see exactly what they have with some of the players on their roster in the final three games.

One key adjustment they need to make while turning their sights toward 2025 and beyond is getting first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall more involved in the offense.

Pearsall this season has 24 targets in eight games, but after earning six targets in Week 10, he has only nine targets in the five games since. Overall he’s turned his opportunities into 13 catches for 153 yards and one touchdown.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday told reporters he’s happy with the rookie now that he’s getting a regular chance to play and practice.

“I think Ricky’s doing a hell of a job,” Shanahan said. “I know everyone talks about the gunshot wound, but what people don’t realize is, I think I said a couple weeks ago, but he only had three practices before that gunshot wound. He missed all OTAs and all of training camp and then to get that gunshot basically went from Florida to us halfway through the season. So, I thought he did a hell of a job coming back from that, trying to learn and practice as he goes. He’s been banged up a little bit, started in Green Bay. I think he’s fought through that here the last couple weeks. I thought he did some real good stuff on tape last week. He had a couple big catches. I think he’s going the right direction and hope it keeps improving here these next three games.”

One way to ensure he’s improving is trying to get him the ball more often. In that Week 10 game where he had six targets, Pearsall hauled in four of them for 73 yards and a touchdown. His absence from the offense may just be a result of the injury issues Shanahan mentioned, but that’s something they need to resolve before the season ends.

Pearsall is a key piece of their receiving corps in the future and ironing out a more accurate trajectory for his immediate future will play a significant role in how the 49ers should operate in the offseason.

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ESPN predicts 49ers to finish 2024 schedule strong

ESPN shared scored predictions for the 2024 season’s final three weeks and it shows the 49ers finishing the season strong.

The San Francisco 49ers have just three games left in their 2024 season.

Sitting with a 6-8 overall record and a 1-4 mark in NFC West games, San Francisco is all but eliminated from the NFL playoffs.

Still, the 49ers want to end the 2024 season with some pride and they have the opportunity to finish with a winning record if they win out.

With games left at Miami (6-8), versus Detroit (12-2) and at Arizona (7-7), San Francisco has the opportunity to end the season with some momentum and set the table for a return to prominence in 2025.

Using simulations from its Football Power Index, ESPN forecasted every remaining game in the NFL’s regular season, including how the 49ers’ final three games would play out.

ESPN’s simulation forecasts San Francisco to close its final three weeks strong. Here’s what the simulation produced for scores in the 49ers’ final three games of 2024:

  • Week 16: San Francisco 24, Miami 14
  • Week 17: Detroit 38, San Francisco 31
  • Week 18: San Francisco 19, Arizona 10

While these results wouldn’t have the 49ers finishing with a winning record, it does have San Francisco closing with two more wins and a one-score loss against the projected No. 1 seed in the NFC in Detroit.

Among some of the other notable projections from ESPN’s FPI, the simulation forecasts the Los Angeles Rams to top the Seattle Seahawks in the season’s final week, 16-7, and capture the NFC West crown.

ESPN’s FPI projects the full seeding in the NFC to play out as follows: Detroit is the No. 1 seed, Philadelphia No. 2, Tampa Bay No. 3, Los Angeles No. 4, Minnesota No. 5, Green Bay No. 6 and Washington No. 7.

In the AFC, ESPN’s FPI projects the Kansas City Chiefs to capture the No. 1 seed, though Buffalo would close to within one game of Kansas City after a Chiefs loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.

The full AFC Playoff picture looks like this per ESPN’s FPI simulation: Kansas City is the No. 1 seed, Buffalo No. 2, Pittsburgh No. 3, Houston No. 4, Baltimore No. 5, the Los Angeles Chargers No. 6 and Denver No. 7.

Kickoff for San Francisco at Miami in Week 16 is set for 1:25 p.m PT and the game will air on CBS.

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49ers open Week 16 practice with 3 players missing, 5 limited

The San Francisco 49ers had a busy practice report to open Week 16 preparations for the Miami Dolphins.

With the postseason virtually out of reach, the San Francisco 49ers can start turning an eye toward the 2025 season. However, it doesn’t appear the 49ers are aiming to start shutting things down with three games to go.

San Francisco’s practice participation report from Wednesday featured a trio of players missing, including left tackle Trent Williams and running back Isaac Guerendo. Williams is still working through an ankle issue. Guerendo had a hamstring injury crop up during the team’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Beyond that, players like defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Dre Greenlaw were still participating in practice on a limited basis despite playing through injury issues of their own.

Bosa has been dealing with hip and oblique problems since Week 10, and they cost him three games before his return against the Rams. Greenlaw made his season debut in Week 15 after recovering from a torn Achilles. He left the game with what head coach Kyle Shanahan classified as fatigue and soreness. That both players were in practice to begin the week is a good sign for their chances to suit up Sunday in Miami.

Did not participate

DT Maliek Collins (illness)
RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)

Limited participation

DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)
LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles, knee)
OT Jaylon Moore (hip)
S Malik Mustapha (chest)
G Nick Zakelj (illness)

Full participation

G Aaron Banks (elbow)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (groin)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)
LB Dee Winters (neck)

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