NFL
Who is Isaac Guerendo, McCaffrey’s replacement at RB for the 49ers against the Bears? Career stats, salary, contract...
Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason are both injured, so Guerendo is set for his chance as San Francisco’s starting running back.
Rookie Isaac Guerendo is poised to start for the San Francisco 49ers in today’s clash with the Chicago Bears, after Kyle Shanahan’s men lost their top two running backs in last weekend’s defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason have both been placed on the injured reserve list (IR) after suffering knee and ankle injuries, respectively, in the Week 13 loss at Highmark Stadium. McCaffrey, the 49ers' star running back, had only made his first appearance of the campaign in Week 10; the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year missed San Francisco’s first eight games of the season with Achilles tendinitis.
Who is Isaac Guerendo?
Guerendo was selected by the 49ers in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft in April, having split his six-year college football career between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Louisville Cardinals. The 24-year-old was the ninth running back to be picked in the Draft, behind Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, Blake Corum, MarShawn Lloyd, Jaylen Wright, Bucky Irving, Will Shipley and Ray Davis.
Yet to start for the 49ers, Guerendo’s greatest involvement so far this season came in San Francisco’s match-ups with the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Against the Seahawks in Week 6, he produced a 76-yard run that took him within a yard of the end zone; against the Cowboys two weeks later, he chalked up the first touchdown of his NFL career.
Overall, Guerendo has run for 246 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, having doubled his TD tally with a 15-yard run against the Bills at the weekend. He has also accrued 19 receiving yards, with five receptions from six passes.
Guerendo “ready” for first 49ers start
Speaking on Saturday, San Francisco head coach Shanahan spoke of his faith in Guerendo’s ability to fill the void left by McCaffrey and Mason, telling NBC Sports that the Indiana native is “ready” to capitalize on his chance as a starter.
“I expect him to fill in and play like a starting running back,” Shanahan said, adding: “When you’re a backup for us, if you’re not a guy that we think can be a starting back, we usually don’t like you as a backup because it’s very rare that not all these guys play. I mean, we’re down to our fourth starting back now this year, you know, with losing Elijah Mitchell a week before the season started.”
“I’m glad he [Guerendo] is here. He’s got the talent to really help us. I think he’s gotten better throughout this year and getting this opportunity, I think he’s ready for [it], and it’ll also help him for his future and help us going into next year.”
What is Guerendo’s salary at 49ers?
As a rookie, Guerendo has a four-year contract with the 49ers, with a fifth-year option. According to the sports finance specialists Spotrac, his San Francisco deal is worth $4.73 million, with a guaranteed $704,500 and an average annual salary of $1.18m.
Bears vs 49ers: start time, how to watch
The Week 14 game between the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers will take place on Sunday December 8, 2024, with kick-off at Levi’s Stadium scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT. Viewers in the US will be able to watch the game on FOX. You can stream FOX’s coverage on the online platform fubo, which offers new users a free trial.
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