The San Francisco 49ers’ running back problems aren’t getting any better.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Monday that Isaac Guerendo suffered a foot sprain during Sunday’s 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears. With a short week ahead of them – the 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night – it is unclear whether Guerendo will be able to play.
“We will evaluate him over the next few days and see if he has a chance,” via the Lindsey Pallarès of the 49ers.
Although it appears Guerendo’s injury is relatively minor, the 49ers find themselves in a precarious position at running back with this latest setback.
49ers placed at running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve last week after injuring his leg. The team hopes he can return at some point, but McCaffrey shared a message on social media implying he was done for the season.
McCaffrey didn’t make his season debut until Week 10 while dealing with a calf and Achilles injury. If he is truly out for the rest of the season, he will only have played four games. Running back Jordan Mason did a solid job filling in for McCaffrey, but Mason was also placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.
That left Guerendo, who did a very solid job in Sunday’s victory. He ran for 78 yards and had two touchdowns on 15 carries, and he had another 50 receiving yards on two catches.
Guerendo also didn’t seem too bothered by his foot injury on Sunday, which is a good sign.
“Everything is fine,” Guerendo said after the match. via NBC Sports Bay Area. “They were just being careful. We got a fast turnaround this week, so just make sure we’re good to go.
If Guerendo can’t play Sunday, Patrick Taylor Jr. is next on the depth chart. He passed for a season-high 25 yards and a touchdown on seven carries Sunday. Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda are also available.
The 49ers’ victory on Sunday ended a three-game losing streak. The win kept them in the race for a playoff spot despite their 6-7 record. A win Thursday night against the Rams would go a long way toward this playoff push. If Guerendo isn’t on the field, it will be that much harder for the 49ers to get there.
