The 49ers' attrition at running back continued with Isaac Guerendo suffering an injury in Week 18 and being carted off the field.
Playing running back for the San Francisco 49ers is a dangerous thing, apparently.
The Niners already started off the year without fourth-year pro Elijah Mitchell because of a season-ending hamstring injury prior to Week 1, then missed All-Pro Christian McCaffrey for the first half of the year because of Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey then played in three games before landing on season-ending injured reserve with a PCL injury.
If those setbacks weren't bad enough, San Francisco also lost the upstart rusher who filled in admirably for McCaffrey early in 2024, Jordan Mason, who went down with a shoulder injury that cancelled the latter half of his campaign.
Now, rookie rusher Isaac Guerendo can be added to the list.
With the 49ers visiting the Arizona Cardinals for the regular-season concluding game, Guerendo went down with an apparent knee injury on just his second carry of the contest during the Niners' opening drive.
A cart came out to get the rookie running back, who entered Week 18 with 415 rush yards, four touchdowns and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. And while the former Louisville product managed to step onto the cart on his own, the fact he needed to be carted off pretty much suggests his season is over.
The Fox broadcast later revealed Guerendo suffered both a knee and ankle injury on the particular play, which ruled him out from returning and effectively ended his season.
While Guerendo suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the season, this particular injury appears to be much worse, and one can only hope it's not too serious to hinder his pending offseason development.
49ers RBs who have suffered serious injuries in 2024
With San Francisco already eliminated from playoff contention, the fact Guerendo's injury happened in Week 18 will be an understatement, provided it's not serious to the point of endangering next year's campaign.
That said, the rookie can be added to a lengthy list of 49ers runners who have suffered serious injuries this season:
- Elijah Mitchell
- Christian McCaffrey
- Jordan Mason
- Isaac Guerendo
The setbacks have forced the Niners to dive deep into a pool of running backs, including seldom-seen veteran Patrick Taylor, who'll likely get the bulk of touches to close out the 2024 season.
Additionally, San Francisco has used five different starting running backs over the course of the year, the most in the NFL.
And that pretty much tells the entire story.