Entering the 2024 NFL season, the 49ers were not expected to have all that many holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball. If anything, by adding rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco seemed to have a few too many offensive weapons.
But in what has been an injury-riddled 3-3 start for the 49ers, the team has not had a consistent depth chart at just about any position along the offense. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle have both missed time with injuries, and of course, the biggest injury woe of all for the 49ers is that of Christian McCaffrey, who is dealing with a mysterious injury to his Achilles tendon.
McCaffrey’s injury is the big concern. Much of the 49ers offense revolves around his versatility. Jordan Mason has done a fine job in his place, but Mason, too, is dealing with an injury—he hurt his shoulder in Week 6 against the Seahawks—though he is set to play in Week 7.
The uncertainty around McCaffrey should have the 49ers concerned about their depth at running back if he continues to sit. With that mind, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has a suggestion: Make a trade to bring back a familiar face.
49ers RB Room Is Lacking Depth
Writing this week in a column titled, “The 12 deals we want to see at the NFL trade deadline: DeAndre Hopkins, Bryce Young on the move,” Barnwell suggested that the 49ers bring back a runner who is decidedly familiar with the Kyle Shanahan system: Jeff Wilson Jr., the former undrafted signee of the 49ers who spent the first four years of his career in San Francisco before he was traded midseason in his fifth year to the Dolphins.
The 49ers backup core of rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor are good change-of-pace backs, but if Mason gets hurt again with McCaffery still out, things get dodgy, as Barnwell sees it:
“Rookie Isaac Guerendo showed off his burst with a 76-yard carry, but his other 21 rush attempts have gone for just 64 yards. He has great raw speed and acceleration, but he’s not experienced or consistent enough as a runner within this offense to thrive with the sort of regularity the 49ers need from their backs. …
“Wilson was used as the top back more often (in his time with the 49ers). He’s fourth on the depth chart in Miami. … Wilson would be useful to have around if all the other backs in front of him get injured, but he’s not going to play much otherwise.”
Christian McCaffrey ‘Doing Incredibly Well’
Getting Wilson back to the 49ers would not require much—the swap would send Wilson to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick, with the 49ers getting a seventh-rounder in return. He’d be a more reliable option should the 49ers need to be concerned about McCaffrey going forward.
On that front, general manager John Lynch was on KNBR in San Francisco this week and said there is “progress” with McCaffrey.
“No new updates other than he’s doing incredibly well,” Lynch said, via 49ers WebZone. “It’s all about the ramp up, increasing the activity, making sure that there’s no setbacks. I could just tell people he’s on a good track with that. No timelines or anything, but he’s doing a little bit more—not each day. We kind of stagger it, work hard one day, kind of go into more of a [regeneration] day the next day.
“But when you can start to stack those and not have setbacks, that’s a good thing, and that’s kind of the direction he’s trending in.”
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49ers Trade Pitch Returns Former SF Starter Amid McCaffrey Absence