The New York Jets have plenty of depth at the running back position entering the 2026 season, which is why they were comfortable with letting a member of last year’s unit depart for another team.
Khalil Herbert, who spent the 2025 season with the Jets, is signing a deal with the San Francisco 49ers per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 49ers have been dealing with a rash of injuries throughout training camp, particularly at running back, and were in dire need of depth at the position.
New York seemed fairly uninterested in bringing back Herbert, as they had ample chance to throughout the 2026 offseason.
49ers’ Training Camp Injury Woes
The New York Jets have enjoyed a relatively healthy training camp, with only minor injuries popping up to the likes of D’Angelo Ponds and T’Vondre Sweat.
Ponds only ended up missing the first practice of camp, while Sweat remains out rehabbing a hamstring injury.
But other teams aren’t as fortunate, as the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly down three running backs despite training camp just getting underway.
“Jordan James suffered broken ribs when Fred Warner punched him during practice in an attempt to dislodge the football, and is out indefinitely. Isaac Guerendo is recovering from a torn pectoral muscle and doesn’t seem particularly close to returning. And rookie Kaelon Black left Saturday’s practice early with an undisclosed injury,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn.
“Which means the only healthy backups behind Christian McCaffrey are Patrick Taylor Jr., Sincere McCormick and now Khalil Herbert.”
The 49ers were clearly in desperate need of some sort of addition to the room, and they landed on Herbert as their guy.
Why Didn’t the Jets Want Khalil Herbert Back?
Last year, Herbert served the New York Jets as their RB4 and return specialist when injuries sidelined Isaiah Williams and Kene Nwangwu.
He only managed to record 52 yards on 16 carries in seven appearances, and only got real playing time towards the end of the season.
Heading into 2026, with Breece Hall recently extended and Braelon Allen back healthy, the Jets have a full stable of running backs ready to lead their ground game.
That’s not even mentioning third-year player Isaiah Davis, who flashed when Allen went down with injury this past season.
With Nwangwu serving as impromptu RB4, there just wasn’t enough space for Herbert to make his return.
Khalil Herbert’s Path Through the NFL
Of course, the New York Jets weren’t Herbert’s first NFL team, and they obviously aren’t the last.
The Chicago Bears made him the 217th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he enjoyed a solid start to his career with the Bears.
In 48 career games with Chicago, Herbert racked up 1,791 yards and nine touchdowns, with an average of 4.8 yards per carry.
Midway through the 2024 season, the Bears would flip Herbert for a seventh-round draft pick from the Cincinnati Bengals. He received 28 carries and turned them into 114 rushing yards.
This training camp with San Francisco may be Herbert’s last gasp at finding a home ahead of the 2026 season, as he seemed to have no suitors before the 49ers came knocking.
49ers Sign Ex-Jets Running Back Amid Rash of Injuries