Once hailed as San Francisco’s speed weapon, Isaac Guerendo’s story has taken a sharp turn. After a promising rookie campaign — 420 yards and 4 touchdowns — the sophomore running back now finds himself buried on the depth chart.
The 49ers’ decision to draft Oregon’s Jordan James and trade for Brian Robinson reshaped the backfield completely. Guerendo hasn’t logged a single carry this season, limited instead to special teams duty.
Even there, his struggles continued. Averaging just 20 yards per kick return, Guerendo was outperformed by Robinson and Skyy Moore, who brought more explosiveness and consistency to the return game.
With James sidelined by a hand injury, Guerendo’s roster spot hangs by a thread — a temporary lifeline, not a vote of confidence.
Sources within the team suggest head coach Kyle Shanahan has lost faith in Guerendo’s reliability and decision-making, despite his raw speed.
Robinson’s power style doesn’t naturally fit the return role, yet Shanahan’s willingness to use him there says everything about Guerendo’s slide.
Once seen as a future key piece of the 49ers’ offense, Guerendo now faces an uphill battle to stay on the roster.
If Jordan James returns healthy, Isaac Guerendo could soon find himself not just out of the lineup — but out of San Francisco entirely.
