{"id":747,"date":"2026-05-29T12:39:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=747"},"modified":"2026-05-29T12:39:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:39:55","slug":"49ers-spy-youngsters-as-mccaffreys-backups-after-guerendo-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=747","title":{"rendered":"49ers spy youngsters as McCaffrey’s backups after Guerendo injury"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SANTA CLARA \u2013 Jordan James took Brock Purdy\u2019s toss and ran to the right behind Kyle Juszczyk\u2019s lead block, starting 11-on-11 action at Thursday\u2019s organized team activities.<\/p>\n

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Three snaps later, rookie Kaelon Black ran up the middle and put on a spin move after a couple of yards.<\/p>\n

From James to Black to (*checks transaction wire*) two freshly signed rushers in Jermar Jefferson and Jordan Mimms.<\/p>\n

This is the 49ers\u2019 backfield life without Christian McCaffrey?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys came on the day I was not going,\u201d McCaffrey said after Thursday\u2019s practice. \u201cI\u2019ve been practicing, just not today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. also were out of the mix, with coach Kyle Shanahan later revealing that Guerendo tore a pectoral muscle lifting weights. Guerendo, after two lackluster seasons and multiple injuries, is likely out until late August, if not into the season via an injury-list designation.<\/p>\n

That sets up James, a 2025 fifth-round pick, and Black, a 2026 third-rounder, as McCaffrey\u2019s unproven understudies who are listed with similar builds (5-foot-9, 208 pounds). James turned 22 on March 29; Black turns 25 on Oct. 17.<\/p>\n

McCaffrey praised both as \u201ccomplements to our room,\u201d one that lost 2025 No. 2 back Brian Robinson to Atlanta in free agency.<\/p>\n

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McCaffrey on James: \u201cHe\u2019s another guy that just does everything right, can run any scheme, has gotten a lot better in the pass game, is explosive and can do it all.\u201d (James\u2019 only carries came in the season finale, with six rushes for 28 yards in the 41-6 playoff loss at Seattle.)<\/p>\n

McCaffrey on Black: \u201cHe\u2019s been everything you would want in a rookie \u2014 super attentive in meetings, does everything right, has a bunch of talent. \u2026 He can pick things up so quickly. Once he does something or you tell him something, he knows how to correct it. He\u2019s a true football player.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Despite Shanahan\u2019s annual vow to get McCaffrey more rest this season, he\u2019s been their No. 1 offensive weapon since his 2022 arrival from Carolina. He totaled 450 touches through the divisional-round playoff exit. He started all 19 games, nearly produced 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving in the regular season, and earned AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.<\/p>\n

McCaffrey has had enough of the \u201cworkload\u201d chatter.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve been dealing with those questions for nine years, it feels like,\u201d McCaffrey said. \u201cThe workload in our sport is really monitored in practice, not in games. We play 17 regular-season games a year and everybody\u2019s livelihoods are on the line. On Sundays you have to do what it takes to win. You don\u2019t tell a 3-point shooter you only get six threes today. So much of it is rhythmic.\u201d<\/p>\n

So much of the 49ers\u2019 rushing attack failed to impress last season, posting its lowest average per carry (3.8) since 2004 and failing to break big gainers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreaking tackles, hitting those long ones, that\u2019s something I can get better at,\u201d McCaffrey said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019ve been focusing on all offseason is just getting the big play back. You can\u2019t always control what happens in a play but if the hole\u2019s there, you\u2019ve got to hit it and you\u2019ve got make the 8- to 10-yard runs the big ones. And if it\u2019s not there you\u2019ve got to do everything you can to get four or five or whatever it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 49ers typically like to keep four or five running backs, including practice-squad reserves.<\/p>\n

McCaffrey expects Guerendo to be part of that unit, once he recovers from the pectoral tear.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes this game is super unfortunate. He was working his butt off all offseason,\u201d McCaffrey said. \u201cSometimes that freak stuff happens where you strain something in the weight room. It\u2019s unfortunate but he\u2019s got the right attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Isaac Guerendo’s latest injury ramps up the bids of Jordan James and Kaelon Black to back up 49ers’ star running back Christian McCaffrey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n49ers spy youngsters as McCaffrey’s backups after Guerendo injury - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=747\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"49ers spy youngsters as McCaffrey’s backups after Guerendo injury - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Isaac Guerendo's latest injury ramps up the bids of Jordan James and Kaelon Black to back up 49ers' star running back Christian McCaffrey.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=747\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-29T12:39:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"49ers spy youngsters as McCaffrey’s backups after Guerendo injury\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-29T12:39:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747\"},\"wordCount\":691,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/85a885ac03d082ce3cffbf0bc9e1565c.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=747\",\"name\":\"49ers spy youngsters as McCaffrey’s backups after Guerendo injury - 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