The San Francisco 49ers have a bye week in Week 9, but they return to action in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It seems like no matter what, the team is going to have a very different running back depth chart in Tampa Bay.
There has been some reporting out there that star running back Christian McCaffrey could be set to return from injury in Week 10. The 2023 Offensive Player of the Year has not played yet in 2024 as he has dealt with tendinitis in both of his Achilles.
If he is able to play, that would be phenomenal. But he should only play if he is truly feeling healthy. The Niners cannot afford to rush him back onto the field only for him to injure himself further and potentially lose him for the rest of the season if not part of next season.
Even if McCaffrey does play, he should be on a snap count. Giving him 20-something touches in his first action of the season would be unwise. That is why the Niners should have him share backfield duties with someone else, but it is unclear who that should be.
Jordan Mason has been the starting running back for the Niners this year with McCaffrey out, and he has done phenomenal. He ranks third in the NFL with 685 rushing yards and has been a workhorse for the team, racking up 134 carries in eight games.
Unfortunately, he has been dealing with a left shoulder sprain that has limited his output over the last few weeks. He was forced to leave Week 8's game against the Dallas Cowboys because he reaggravated the shoulder injury.
In his stead, rookie running back Isaac Guerendo came in and played great. He ran the ball 14 times for 85 yards and got his first career rushing touchdown. Guerendo has flashed some impressive speed in the opportunities he has gotten which has made some compare him to former Niners running back Raheem Mostert.
Guerendo's solid game against Dallas means that there is a lot of uncertainty at running back going into Week 10. Even if McCaffrey starts, it is unclear who will be the primary backup. And if McCaffrey is still not ready to go, it will be interesting to see who gets the start at running back.
A lot of this will depend on how Mason is progressing with his shoulder injury. He has demonstrated that when he is at full strength he is a formidable runner who is tough to bring down. If he is fully healthy, then he and Guerendo may end up splitting carries if McCaffrey does not suit up.
This is a nice problem for the Niners to have, though. It would be great to get McCaffrey back because he is one of the most talented players in the NFL. But the 49ers should not feel the need to rush him back if he is not ready because they have two solid backs in Mason and Guerendo to lean upon.
The running back depth chart may look quite different for the Niners in Week 10, but they should still take solace in the fact that, when healthy, they have three legit running backs on their team.