When Christian McCaffrey is healthy, he's easily and obviously one of the best running backs in football. But as the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, and of course, fantasy football managers know all too well, he can't always be relied upon.
In the eight seasons McCaffrey has been in the NFL, he's missed 10 or more regular-season games on three occasions, sitting out 13 in 2020 and 10 in 2021 as a member of the Panthers, and another 13 last year for the Niners.
And it's not just one type of injury that forces him out of action, as ankle, shoulder, hamstring, calf, Achilles, and knee ailments have all put him on the shelf at some point.
Again, though, when healthy, McCaffrey is an absolute machine, as evidenced by the fact that despite all these injuries, he's amassed 6,387 regular-season rushing yards for his career with 52 touchdowns, adding another 4,466 yards and 29 scores as a receiver on 524 receptions.
The three-time first-team All-Pro is indeed healthy as the 49ers kick off training camp, but head coach Kyle Shanahan is expected to keep his superstar's workload in check ahead of the regular season, which naturally makes sense.
The 49ers are obviously better with McCaffrey on the field, as any team would be.
But if he were to go down again, San Francisco has a solid unit behind him, even with the loss of Jordan Mason, who filled in admirably a year ago before suffering a season-ending injury of his own.
49ers' RB depth chart could see a switch before 2025 season begins
Here's how the 49ers' running back depth chart currently shakes out:
- Christian McCaffrey
- Isaac Guerendo
- Jordan James
- Patrick Taylor Jr.
- Corey Kiner
McCaffrey, of course, is the obvious RB1. And while sixth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. is a nice option to have in case of emergency, he won't see significant snaps unless it's absolutely necessary.
And let's get real here. With the addition of undrafted rookie Corey Kiner, who had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for Cincinnati to close out his collegiate career, Taylor may soon find himself in the unemployment line. We'll keep him at No. 4 for now, but Kiner may change that with a few good practices in training camp.
The second and third slots are where things get interesting, as we could see an entertaining battle for RB2 between Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James.
Guerendo, a fourth-round pick of the Niners in 2024, saw more action than expected as a rookie last season, given the injuries to McCaffrey and Mason. But the Indiana native played solidly, averaging 5.0 yards per carry en route to a 420-yard, four-touchdown campaign, adding 152 yards on 15 receptions.
The second-year pro is as fast as fast can be, as proven by the fact that his 4.33-second 40 at the 2024 combine was the fastest of any running back in attendance. And at 6-foot and 220-plus pounds, he's got the size to run over defenders when he gets going.
Guerendo may have the slight edge now, but it's hard to ignore what Jordan James brings to the table.
Taken by the Niners in the fifth round, the Oregon alum, like both McCaffrey and Guerendo, can serve as a dual threat. In 14 games for the Ducks last year, James averaged 5.4 yards per carry and rushed for 1,267 yards, good for third in the Big Ten, with 15 touchdowns, also going for 209 yards on 26 receptions.
Had the 2025 running back class as a whole not been ridiculously deep, arguably the deepest we've seen in years, James likely would have gone off the board much earlier. The 49ers could have a steal on their hands, and the Nashville native may just end up stealing snaps from Guerendo as the season progresses.