The San Francisco 49ers continue to churn the bottom of their roster. The team’s cancellation of this week’s mandatory minicamp has not prevented them from making moves. The 49ers signed running back Sincere McCormick for what feels like the 17th time. To make room for McCormick, running back Jordan Mims was waived. Mims was signed on May 28 . McCormick has been in the NFL since 2022, when he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent. He was on the Raiders roster through the 2024 season. Since then, he’s had stints with the 49ers, Cardinals, Broncos, and Vikings, appearing in five games during that stretch. He was also on each team’s practice squad before signing with San Francisco on April 28 and being released for Mims on May 28. The 49ers’ stable of running backs consists of Christian McCaffrey , Jordan James , and Kaelon Black. That’s who we can expect to get the brunt of the workload for this upcoming season. Guerendo’s roster spot is in jeopardy, especially with veteran Patrick Taylor’s ability to cover kicks and contribute on special teams — an area where Guerendo was demoted
Despite concerns about his pass-catching ability, Kyle Shanahan is confident that 49ers rookie RB Kaelon Black can develop into a valuable asset in the passing game, citing similar development paths for past players like Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced that running back Isaac Guerendo tore a pectoral muscle about a month ago. The injury is not season-ending, and Guerendo is expected to return near the end of training camp. Guerendo, who had a limited role in 2025, is competing for a roster spot and is battling Kaelon Black for the third running back position
Now we know why the San Francisco 49ers signed a couple of running backs . 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Thursday that running back Isaac Guerendo tore his pectoralis muscle a month ago while lifting weights. Shanahan says Guerendo could be ready at the end of training camp. Guerendo has had flashes of being a solid running back for the 49ers. In his rookie season, there were numerous plays indicating he could be something special—if only he could stay healthy. The pec tear joins a list of injuries over his two years in the league, including groin, foot sprain, ankle, and shoulder injuries. After a 2024 that showed some optimism, Guerendo was quiet in 2025. He played in 14 games with zero offensive snaps and five kick returns. Many thought his second year would be the year he’d take a lot of the load off Christian McCaffrey , but Guerendo didn’t see the field. Guerendo is entering the third year of his four-year rookie deal. The 49ers signed both Jordan Mims and Jemar Jefferson earlier Thursday, and now the reasoning makes a bit more sense. The two recent signings will join 2026 third-round pick Kaelon Black to compete for a role behind McCaffrey—making one wonder what the future holds for Guerendo with the injuries
49ers running back Isaac Guerendo tore a pectoral muscle about a month ago while lifting weights, coach Kyle Shanahan said. Shanahan said Guerendo could be ready by the end of training camp. The 49ers signed running backs Jordan Mims and Jermar Jefferson on Thursday to help fill in while Guerendo is out. Guerendo has an injury history, with hamstring, groin, foot sprain, ankle and shoulder injuries since joining the 49ers as a fourth-round pick in 2024. He did not play an offensive snap in 2025, but did see action on 173 special teams in 14 games
49ers running back Isaac Guerendo tore a pectoral muscle about a month ago while lifting weights, coach Kyle Shanahan said. Shanahan said Guerendo could be ready by the end of training camp. The 49ers signed running backs Jordan Mims and Jermar Jefferson on Thursday to help fill in while Guerendo is out. Guerendo has an injury history, with hamstring, groin, foot sprain, ankle and shoulder injuries since joining the 49ers as a fourth-round pick in 2024. He did not play an offensive snap in 2025, but did see action on 173 special teams in 14 games
The 49ers have made an addition to their offensive backfield. The agents for running back Jordan Mims announced that their client has agreed to a deal with the NFC West club. Mims appeared in one game for the Titans in 2025. Mims initially signed with the Bills after going undrafted in 2023 and moved on to the Saints to make his regular season debut. He played two games as a rookie and 11 games the next season. He has 20 carries for 71 yards and 12 catches for 71 yards for his career. Christian McCaffrey is the lead back for the 49ers. Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor, Sincere McCormick, and third-round pick Kaelon Black are the other backs. UPDATE 4:35 p.m. ET : The NFL’s daily transaction wire shows that the 49ers also signed running back Jermar Jefferson. They waived McCormick and placed defensive back Darrick Forrest on injured reserve
The San Francisco 49ers take the field this week for Phase 3 of the offseason program. The closer we get to summer, the closer we get to real football. It’s spring, which means we’ll need to settle for OTAs There’s generally a 10-practice schedule over a three-week period, which kicked off on Wednesday. Practice is open to the media on Thursday, so we’ll get our first glimpse at the rookie class and free agents. Here are five things we’ll be watching for. I remember in 2021, after the 49ers drafted two running backs. Trey Sermon could get the first crack at it. There wasn’t anything that stood out when Sermon touched the ball. Then, this jacked, undersized, speedy runner wearing No. 49 subbed in with the 3s. That looked different. It didn’t take long for the 49ers to realize Elijah Mitchell was a better football player than Sermon. By training camp, Mitchell had the upper hand. That carried over into the season and remained true for the next few seasons. Christian McCaffrey is the unquestioned leader of the backfield. Rookie Kaelon Black and second-year runner Jordan James will duke it out for RB2, while Isaac Guerendo will do everything in his power to remind the coaching staff that he’s still on the roster. I’d expect James to start out ahead of Black. Now, whether that’s the case heading into August is another story. Both players will have their opportunities during the preseason and even in the regular season. It wouldn’t be surprising if this turns out to be a “ride the hot hand” if neither player separates themselves. The 49ers left Aaron Banks walk in free agency. Last year, they cycled through three left guards. In an effort to ensure that doesn’t happen again in 2026, the 49ers signed Robert Jones and Brett Toth and drafted Carver Willis. Those moves suggest the team wants a veteran to win the job, but is content if it ends up like Dominick Puni ’s rookie season, where the first-year player wins the job. Don’t be shocked if Willis is working multiple positions early on to see where he fits best. He may be the long-term option at center after Jake Brendel ’s contract expires . We know Willis won’t play the position he played in college. That could lead to a bit of a learning curve, giving the veterans ahead of him a better shot to start. If healthy, the player who has played the highest level for a full season is Jones. If Jones can recapture his 2024 form, the 49ers will have their best offensive line, arguably ever, under the current regime. That might speak more to how volatile the play at left guard has been in recent seasons. Mike Evans has primarily lined up out wide throughout his career. Last year with Tampa Bay, 165 of Evans’ routes came out wide while 62 were in the slot. That’s par for the course. I doubt that’ll be the case with Kyle Shanahan. Let’s use Demarcus Robinson ’s 2025 as an example. He had 152 routes out wide compared to 100 in the slot, and even eight from a “tight” alignment. The data tells us that Shanahan wants his bigger wideouts closer to the line of scrimmage. Ricky Pearsall ran 209 routes out wide last season, but only 50 in the slot. Then again, he had 19 “tight” routes. I’d imagine Evans and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling will be featured closer to the line of scrimmage in “nasty” splits, which is a yard or two away from the offensive tackle. That’s for run-game purposes, but it also puts them in a position where they can’t get jammed off the line of scrimmage and will more than likely face a linebacker or safety in coverage. If I’m an undrafted rookie safety, I’m champing at the bit to show what I can do. The safety play last season for the 49ers left a lot to be desired. While it’s fair to say they needed to defend longer than usual without a hint of a pass rush, whichever safety was on the field was consistently out of phase in coverage. Jalen Stroman and Larry Worth are on opposite ends of the athletic spectrum. Maybe Jakob Robinson gets a crack at safety. If one of these y
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Guerendo is not participating in OTAs due to a torn pectoral, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports. The running back suffered the injury while lifting "about a month ago," per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. Guerendo is expected back near the end of training camp, though he did already undergo surgery, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The 2024 fourth-round pick did not receive a single carry in 2025 despite appearing in 14 regular-season games
Hopes were high for Guerendo heading into last season after he popped for a few big games as a rookie in 2024 while filling in for Christian McCaffrey. Instead, the fourth-round pick out of Louisville was limited exclusively to special teams as CMac stayed healthy and Kyle Shanahan decided to bring in Brian Robinson to handle the backup job. The 49ers' draft history also strongly suggests that Guerendo has fallen out of favor as a backfield option, as Jordan James was nabbed with a fifth-round pick in 2025 and Kaelon Black was selected in the third round in 2026. With McCaffrey turning 30 in June and coming off another season of more than 400 touches, though - 450 including the playoffs, to be exact - the odds of him staying on the field for all 17 regular-season games again seem slim. If Guerendo and his elite speed, highlighted by a 4.33 40-yard time at the combine, can somehow emerge from the pack with the No. 2 role, he could again become the latest back in a Shanahan offense to deliver surprising production
