Second-year San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James suffered a rib fracture during Monday's training camp practice, potentially dealing a significant blow to his chances of securing the backup role behind Christian McCaffrey for the 2026 season.
In the wake of James' injury, the 49ers worked out the following three running backs, according to the NFL transaction report:
- Raheem Blackshear
- Khalil Herbert
- Owen Wright
Blackshear entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills in 2022 but has spent his regular-season career with the Carolina Panthers. Over 41 games (two starts), he has rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns while adding 16 receptions for 138 receiving yards.
The Chicago Bears selected Herbert in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 63 career games, making 13 starts, and has rushed for 1,957 yards and nine touchdowns. Herbert has also caught 54 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns during stints with the Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Jets.
Wright signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent and has appeared in four career games with the Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has totaled six rushing yards on three carries.
James' injury is expected to create an opportunity for rookie Kaelon Black to compete for the RB2 role behind McCaffrey. However, by bringing in three experienced backs for workouts, the 49ers appear to be exploring additional depth options while James recovers.
Two defensive lineman land on 49ers' IR list
The 49ers recently waived/injured defensive linemen William Bradley-King and Andrew Farmer. As expected, both players cleared waivers and reverted to the team's injured reserve list.
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