RADIO
Sincere McCormick Improves His Stock In Preseason Win
San Francisco 49ers running back Sincere McCormick led the team in rushing for another week in the team's preseason meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers. While starter Kaelon Black and backup Zamir White handled more carries, McCormick finished with a team-high 53 rushing yards and scored a touchdown in the 49ers' 41-17 win. McCormick got the bulk of his yardage after taking advantage of solid blocking and weaving his way through traffic and then exploding for a 37-yard gain. Two plays later, McCormick fought his way into the end zone from seven yards out. Despite being used as an alternate, McCormick has outshone his teammates for the second game in a row. The 49ers' depth chart at running back is yet to be settled, but whoever wins might be worth a late flyer as Christian McCaffrey's handcuff. McCormick's last preseason audition to be San Francisco's RB2 will come on August 27 against the Raiders.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Kaelon Black Looks Powerful in Return to Practice
San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black "looked powerful" in his return during Tuesday's joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Black missed the previous two weeks of camp with an inner-thigh injury, but he was the team's top runner on Tuesday with Christian McCaffrey still sitting due to undisclosed tightness. Black, a third-rounder, did not look rusty at all, taking an early carry for 50 yards while showing violence and strength on several runs. He also had a catch at the goal line during a red-zone drill. "I thought he looked good hitting the hole and running hard," quarterback Brock Purdy said. The Niners cut RB Khalil Herbert on Monday, and Jordan James (rib) and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are injured. Going into camp, James was the favorite for RB2 duties behind the oft-injured McCaffrey, but if Black continues to impress and James continues to sit out with his injury, it could be Black winning the RB2 role going into Week 1 in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.
Source: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
Source: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
Christian McCaffrey Could Have Practiced Tuesday
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey remains out with tightness, but head coach Kyle Shanahan gave a positive update Tuesday. Shanahan said McCaffrey is coming along well and would have participated if the 49ers had held a normal practice instead of a joint session with the Los Angeles Chargers. He also pushed back on speculation that McCaffrey's absence has anything to do with his contract, saying that would be wrong. San Francisco has been careful with McCaffrey rather than having him push through the tightness during August. That's understandable after he handled a franchise-record 413 touches last season, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven more scores. Tuesday's update is probably the clearest sign yet that McCaffrey is getting close to returning to regular practice work.
Source: Nick Wagoner
Source: Nick Wagoner
Kaelon Black Returns to Practice After Adductor Injury
San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (adductor) returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since the opening week of training camp. The rookie had been sidelined since hurting his adductor during the Aug. 1 practice, wiping out more than two weeks of valuable work. Black was getting a decent amount of run before the injury, including a heavy share of the carries during San Francisco's first padded session. The 49ers used the 90th overall pick on him in April after he rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries at Indiana last season. At 5-foot-9 and 208 pounds, he gives San Francisco another option behind Christian McCaffrey as the team sorts through a banged-up backfield. Black has ground to make up after the long layoff, but getting back into practice now gives him time to push for a role before the regular season. UPDATE: Black looked good in his return to practice, according to Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn.
Source: Matt Barrows
Source: Matt Barrows
Christian McCaffrey is Actually Dealing with Tightness, Not a Hold-In
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) is actually dealing with tightness despite speculation that he was sitting out due to contractual reasons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. There had been plenty of recent speculation on social media that McCaffrey was holding in, but Rapoport confirmed that he is actually experiencing tightness, as the 49ers previously announced. The exact specifics of his injury are unknown, though, and it's too early to tell whether he'll play in the 49ers' season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. The good news, though, is that it's not believed to be much of a concern. McCaffrey is no stranger to injury concerns, but he was able to stay healthy for a full slate of 17 games last season. In doing so, he tallied 413 touches, 2,126 scrimmage yards, and 17 touchdowns en route to ranking as the RB1 in PPR leagues. Even at 30 years old, he remains capable of leading his position group in fantasy points if he can stay healthy for a full season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor McCaffrey's status and seek out additional updates as Week 1 gets closer.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Christian McCaffrey Still Not Practicing, Injury Concerns Continue to Rise
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) will remain out of practice Sunday, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. McCaffrey hasn't practiced since August 10 while dealing with what the team has called tightness. San Francisco has downplayed it. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week that his concern would be McCaffrey trying to push through the tightness and turning it into something worse. Still, nearly a week off the field is hard to completely shrug off with McCaffrey. He handled a career-high 413 touches in 2025, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven more scores. The recent injury history is part of the concern, too. McCaffrey missed 13 games in 2024 because of Achilles tendinitis and a later PCL injury. There is still nothing coming out of San Francisco suggesting this is a serious injury, but fantasy managers will want to see McCaffrey back on the practice field soon.
Source: Cam Inman
Source: Cam Inman
Zamir White Gets Plenty of Work in First Practice with 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers signed veteran running back Zamir White on Wednesday, and in his first practice with the team on Saturday, he saw plenty of involvement, according to team reporter Brooke Evans. With Christian McCaffrey (soreness), Jordan James (ribs), and Kaelon Black (adductor) all missing practice, White is already a necessary presence, and he received a heavy workload throughout the team's competitive sessions. While the former Raider faces an uphill climb to earn a roster spot this late into camp, he could see work in San Francisco's next preseason game on Thursday, and he provides critical backfield depth for a team already stretched thin by injuries.
Source: Brooke Evans
Source: Brooke Evans
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Another Practice
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) missed Saturday's practice due to "tightness," according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. So far, we don't have much info on McCaffrey's injury. We know that it sidelined him for several practices and the 49ers' preseason opener, but we can't read too much into those absences since the 49ers have been lightening many of their starters' workloads anyway. With that being said, fantasy managers would be justified if they take the injury into consideration when drafting this year. In the event that he does have a clean bill of health, though, McCaffrey is worth drafting as an early-to-mid first-round pick. He was the overall RB1 in PPR leagues with 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns last year, and he ranks as the overall RB3 in RotoBaller's latest 2026 fantasy football draft rankings.
Source: Nick Wagoner
Source: Nick Wagoner
Kaelon Black Still Dealing With Thigh Injury, Sits Out Preseason Opener
San Francisco 49ers rookie third-round running back Kaelon Black (thigh) missed out on a big opportunity to cement himself as a depth option in the team's backfield behind Christian McCaffrey going into his first year in the NFL and was held out of the preseason opener on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The good news is that Black's primary competition, Jordan James (ribs), was also held out. The 24-year-old Black has a big believer in head coach Kyle Shanahan, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he'll beat out James in 2026 to become the primary change-of-pace option behind the oft-injured CMC. The 5-foot-9, 211-pounder didn't have amazing production in college at James Madison and Indiana, and he's old for a rookie. Going into the 2026 season, Black will be a handcuff option to McCaffrey, at best, in deeper leagues if he's able to beat out James.
Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
Patrick Taylor Jr. Scores 49ers' Only Touchdown In Loss
San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. had an unimpressive showing in Thursday's 19-13 preseason loss to the Titans but came out of it with a touchdown. Taylor was targeted twice in the game and had two receptions for 13 yards but finished with negative yardage on the ground, handling five carries and netting -5 rushing yards. Taylor's longest run of the game was the one-yard plunge into the end zone for the 49ers' only touchdown. With Christian McCaffrey (soreness) the undisputed RB1, the rest of San Francisco's running backs derive their fantasy value from their handcuff potential. Despite his touchdown against Tennessee, Taylor does not appear to be a challenger for that role. His next chance to show what he can do will come against the Chargers on August 20.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Sincere McCormick Leads 49ers Rushers Against Titans
San Francisco 49ers running back Sincere McCormick led the team in carries and rushing yards in Thursday's preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans. McCormick finished the game with 10 carries for 38 yards in a difficult day on the ground for San Francisco. He also fielded one kickoff for a 27-yard return and had one target but could not bring in the catch on what was a broken screen play. Past Christian McCaffrey (soreness), the 49ers' running back depth chart is a big question mark. McCormick does not have any fantasy value at present, but as long as he is competing for San Francisco's RB2 role, managers should keep tabs on him through the preseason. Given McCaffrey's injury history, whoever wins the depth chart battle will have value as a handcuff once the regular season opens. McCormick's next chance to work his way up the roster will come on August 20 against the Chargers.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Jordan James' Status in Question After Niners Add a RB
The San Francisco 49ers signed veteran running back Zamir White to a one-year contract after White's Monday workout with the team. White is joining a backfield decimated by injuries during training camp. Second-year back Jordan James (ribs) fractured his ribs on the second day of training camp after a hit from All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. The 2025 fifth-round pick was expected to miss several weeks, with no timetable for return. White's addition heightens concerns about James's availability for the start of the 2026 season. Both White and James, along with third-round pick Kaelon Black, are expected to back up running back Christian McCaffrey this season. With the star running back dealing with minor soreness and a lengthy list of previous injuries, the backup in this offense has fantasy value as a handcuff.
Source: David Lombardi - SF Standard
Source: David Lombardi - SF Standard
Christian McCaffrey Not Practicing for Second Straight Day
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) is not practicing at training camp for the second straight day on Tuesday, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. McCaffrey is being held out so far this week with undisclosed "tightness," but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has downplayed CMC's situation and said the team is "just managing" the All-Pro RB. The 49ers are already pretty banged up early in training camp, and as a result, they are resting some of their key veterans like McCaffrey. In addition to McCaffrey, RBs Kaelon Black (groin), Jordan James (ribs), and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are injured, so the Niners can't afford to lose their most valuable offensive weapon in McCaffrey before the season even starts. CMC managed to stay completely healthy in 2025 and finished as the RB1 in half-PPR scoring with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 924 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver in 17 games. McCaffrey has elite upside at his position but also high-end bust potential due to his lengthy injury history. RotoBaller has him ranked as the RB3 for 2026, behind only Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson.
Source: Bay Area News Group - Cam Inman
Source: Bay Area News Group - Cam Inman
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Practice With Soreness
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey sat out Monday's practice with some soreness, but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak does not sound concerned. According to Matt Barrows, Kubiak said the team is "just managing" McCaffrey and added that he is "fine." Kubiak later explained that McCaffrey always has a rep count during camp and that his workload is right where the 49ers want it. There is good reason for San Francisco to be careful after McCaffrey led the NFL with 413 touches last season. He played all 17 games, running for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for another 924 yards and seven scores. No specific injury has been announced. McCaffrey is still RotoBaller's No. 4 overall player in current PPR rankings. Unless the soreness lingers or keeps him out for an extended stretch, this looks like routine summer maintenance for one of the league's busiest backs.
Source: Matt Barrows
Source: Matt Barrows
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Monday With Tightness
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is sitting out Monday's practice with what the team is describing as "tightness," according to Matt Maiocco. No specific body part has been identified, and the 49ers have not provided any additional details on the issue. McCaffrey is coming off a massive 2025 season in which he played all 17 games, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for 924 yards and seven more scores. San Francisco is scheduled to hold a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday before the teams meet in Thursday's preseason opener. McCaffrey's availability for Tuesday's session will be the next thing to watch.
Source: Matt Maiocco
Source: Matt Maiocco
