The San Francisco 49ers’ running back woes aren’t getting any better.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Monday that Isaac Guerendo suffered a sprained foot in Sunday’s 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears. With a short week ahead (the 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night) it’s unclear if Guerendo will be able to play.
“We’ll evaluate him over the next few days and see if he has a chance,” via Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers.
While it appears Guerendo’s injury is relatively minor, the 49ers find themselves in a precarious position at running back with this latest setback.
The 49ers placed starting running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve last week after he suffered another leg injury. The team is hopeful he can return at some point, but McCaffrey shared a message on social media that implied the season was over.
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 have appeared in just four games. Backup running back Jordan Mason did a solid job filling in for McCaffrey, but Mason was also placed on injured reserve with a sprained ankle.
So that left Guerendo, who did a very solid job in Sunday’s win. He rushed for 78 yards and had two touchdowns on 15 carries, and had another 50 yards receiving on two receptions.
Guerendo also didn’t seem too worried about his foot injury on Sunday, which is a good sign.
“Everything is fine,” Guerendo said after the game. via NBC Sports Bay Area. “They were just being cautious. “We got a quick turnaround this week, so we need to make sure we are ready to go.”
If Guerendo is unable to play on Sunday, Patrick Taylor Jr. will be next on the depth chart. He had a season-high 25 yards and a touchdown on seven carries on Sunday. Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda are also available.
The 49ers’ win on Sunday snapped a three-game losing streak. The victory 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 advancing toward the postseason. However, if Guerendo is not on the field, it will be much more difficult for the 49ers to do so.