One of the key burning questions the San Francisco 49ers will have to figure out between now and Week 1 is which one of their many unproven running backs should back up their workhorse, Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey's league-high 413 touches a year ago make him a high risk for injury—CMC missed all but four games a year removed from leading the NFL in touches in 2023. That puts the Niners in a precarious position of needing a viable backup in case the All-Pro misses extensive time in 2026.
For now, the hope is for a riser between the trio of the embattled Isaac Guerendo, second-year pro Jordan James and the rookie draftee, Kaelon Black.
No one is mentioning Patrick Taylor Jr.
It's understandable, yes. Taylor missed the entirety of 2025 with an injury suffered in that year's preseason campaign, leaving his 2024 efforts as the last bit of film fans got to watch. But, despite San Francisco re-signing the 28-year-old rusher to a one-year deal last spring, Taylor seems to be forgotten when it comes to the running back depth chart.
Perhaps he's a wild card.
Patrick Taylor likely wants a say in 49ers' RB depth competition
Taylor was one of those many names to which the 49ers had to turn in 2024 when McCaffrey was missing time. The former actually got a start that year and finished the season averaging 4.7 yards per carry on 39 carries, totaling 183 yards and a touchdown. While Taylor's prowess came almost exclusively on special teams up to that point, at least it was good to see he can deliver on offense in a pinch.
Now, would that automatically put him in top running for an RB2 role behind CMC? Likely not.
The Niners are heavily invested in Black, if for no other reason than him being an overdrafted rookie, at least according to the greater NFL Draft community. Anything short of Black panning out as a good-quality contributor will be met with plenty of backlash. And while Guerendo is already on thin ice entering 2026, James is in the same category as Black—standing in the way of Taylor.
Despite being on a veteran's minimum deal with zero in guarantees, Taylor's value on special teams gives him a major boost toward making the 53-man roster. While he would love nothing more than to take a shot at the No. 2 spot behind McCaffrey, the likeliest of outcomes would be trying to land a third- or fourth-string spot on the depth chart, perhaps pushing Guerendo off the roster.
That said, strong performances in training camp and the preseason could ultimately shake things up, putting either Black or James on slippery footing and leaving Taylor as a potential second-stringer.
As unlikely as that sounds.
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