Injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason give Isaac Guerendo a rare starting shot on 49ers
AP Pro Football Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Ever since making the switch from high school receiver to running back in college, Isaac Guerendo has had few opportunities to show what he can do as a runner.
Now with Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason out with injuries for San Francisco, that could all change with Guerendo set to be the featured back for the 49ers for the foreseeable future.
Guerendo is expected to make his second start in college or the pros on Sunday when the Niners (5-7) host the Chicago Bears (4-8).
“I’m excited,” Guerendo said Wednesday. “But really it’s whatever it takes to win. Whatever the plan looks like is what we’ll bring.”
The plan appears to be a heavy dose of Guerendo with the only other halfbacks on the roster being Patrick Taylor, who has 72 career carries in four seasons in the NFL, and Israel Abanikanda, who was claimed off waivers from the Jets this week.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the progress Guerendo has made since training camp make him ready for his new role as he sees him running with more “urgency.”
“I think it takes guys some time,” Shanahan said. “You start to get a feel for it the more, if you’ve got the right stuff, the more you get reps, the more you can adjust to it. How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how when there is a hole how you have to hit it full-speed and can’t hesitate at all or it closes like that. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games.”
Guerendo had 10 carries for 99 yards in a Week 6 win at Seattle and 14 carries for 85 yards and a TD two weeks later against Dallas in games Mason left early with a shoulder injury. He then scored San Francisco’s only touchdown last week at Buffalo.
Guerendo has 42 carries for 246 yards and two TDs on the season and said he’s prepared for a heavier load thanks to the work he has done with position coach Bobby Turner.
“I always give credit to Coach T just preparing everybody like they’re going to be the starter, so that when moments like that do come up, you’re ready for it,” he said.
Guerendo played receiver in high school before switching to running back when he arrived in college at Wisconsin. He spent most of his time with the Badgers as a little-used backup to Jonathan Taylor and Braelon Allen before transferring for the 2023 season to Louisville.
He shared the load with Jawhar Jordan last season for the Cardinals when he had 132 carries for 810 yards but didn’t get to start until the Holiday Bowl when he had 23 carries for 161 yards and three TDs against Southern California. That performance and his breakaway speed helped make him a fourth-round pick by San Francisco in April.
Guerendo said he has been helped by his time around McCaffrey, who has endured a trying season. The 2023 Offensive Player of the Year missed the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis and then injured his PCL last week at Buffalo and will be out for at least the rest of the regular season.
“This wasn’t my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours,” McCaffrey wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “You can feel sorry for yourself and listen to the birds, or you can hold the line. I’m grateful for the support of everyone in my corner and promise I’ll work smarter and harder to come back better from this.”
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