The San Francisco 49ers may be down to their fourth-string RB after Isaac Guerendo suffered a foot injury against the Chicago Bears.
San Francisco beat Chicago 38-13 in what may have been the best performance by the 49ers all season. Guerendo was a massive part of their success but suffered a late-game foot injury in the process.
After the contest, 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan provided a less-than-ideal update on their third-string RB.
“#49ers not yet sure extent of RB Isaac Guerendo’s foot injury. Kyle Shanahan says X-rays didn’t show anything. Initial suspicion is a foot sprain but more testing to come tomorrow,” ESPN reporter Nick Wagoner posted on X on December 8.
While it’s big news that the 49ers RB was returned with a negative scan, the fact that he suffered a foot sprain is still a major problem. A high-ankle sprain can take a full month to recover from and Guerendo is already the team’s third-choice RB.
Patrick Taylor Jr. came in for Guerendo, but fans should expect San Francisco to sign another RB in free agency before they take on the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football on December 12.
Guerendo Balls Out Against Bears
While Purdy was the primary star of the 49ers’ win, it was a truly comprehensive performance by the San Francisco offense. The Niners totaled 452 yards on offense, and Guerendo went off for 128 total yards and two scores.
The rookie ran 15 times for 78 rushing yards, with both of his touchdowns coming on the ground. Two of the team’s biggest passing plays actually came on a pair of tosses to Guerendo, as he brought down 27 and 23-yard receptions in the game.
It’s nothing new for Guerendo, who taken his opportunities whenever they’ve arrived in 2024. Earlier in the season, Guerendo was a major factor in the wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
Against Seattle, he took 10 handoffs for 99 yards that featured a 76-yard rampage. In the Dallas game, he ran for 85 yards on 14 handoffs and scored the first touchdown of his NFL career.
Free Agency Options for 49ers
At this stage, there are very few viable options for the 49ers in free agency. In fact, San Francisco likely has a better pool of players to choose from in terms of NFL practice squads.
A familiar face that they could consider would be former 49ers RB Matt Breida. Breida’s most recent regular-season work was with the New York Giants in 2023, in which he totaled 151 yards and a TD on 55 rushes.
That’s a pretty brutal showing, but the Giants aren’t exactly an offensive powerhouse. Further, Breida has averaged 4.6 yards per carry over his career and he’s not 30 years old yet.
Another option would be former Philadelphia Eagles RB Boston Scott. Scott has spent all 6 years of his NFL career with the Eagles, winning the 2018 Super Bowl with Philadelphia.
The 29-year-old RB has never been an outright starter, but he has seen a lot of work at this point in his career. Scott has 1295 career rushing yards and 17 career TDs, averaging 4.3 rushing yards in the process.
