With star running back Christian McCaffrey out for at least the rest of the regular season and stud backup Jordan Mason on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury on Sunday night in the snow against the Buffalo Bills, the San Francisco 49ers (5-7) have a gaping hole in their backfield as they attempt to make a playoff push with five games remaining on their schedule.
Desperate for wins as he attempts to guide his team to the postseason for the fourth straight season and a possible return to the Super Bowl after losing it last year, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping rookie running back Isaac Guerendo can fill that hole.
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Selected in the fourth round out of Louisville (No. 129 overall), Guerendo has totaled 265 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 47 touches (5.6 yards per touch) so far this season in limited action.
The bulk of that action came in Week 8 in a win over the Cowboys when Guerendo stepped in after Mason departed the game with just over two minutes remaining in the first half. A former track standout and converted wide receiver, Guerendo rushed 14 times for 85 yards and a touchdown and added 17 yards on three receptions as San Francisco took care of Dallas.
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Electric carrying the ball and blessed with a good set of hands, Guerendo is the type of dual-threat back that Shanahan typically likes to employ. Guerendo’s skill at carrying and receiving the ball also makes him an attractive fantasy football player as he can contribute points in multiple formats and has a better chance at hitting paydirt than one-dimensional running backs.
There’s even a chance Guerendo, who pulled his hamstring on the first day of training camp and missed the first two preseason games, could return kicks for the Niners as he took a kickoff back 93 yards in the 49ers’ preseason finale.
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Guerendo ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Combine and that zip is one of the reasons Shanahan and the Niners traded up in April to grab the versatile runner out of Louisville.
“Well we love his speed,” Shanahan told reporters at the time. “We think he’s got a lot of speed. All our backs can run, but it’s nice to add one who possibly can run a little bit faster just for the change of pace and things like that. We like his running style. His running style I think is similar to Elijah [Mitchell] and the style that he runs with, he’s built that way and like the 40 that he has.
In addition to leaning on Guerendo out of the backfield moving forward, the Niners also plan to promote Patrick Taylor from the practice squad. San Francisco will host the Bears on Sunday before welcoming the Rams to the Bay Area in Week 15. If you’re lucky, Guerendo will be on your fantasy team for those games.
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