NFL Player News

Guerendo is expected to take over as the 49ers' lead back for the remainder of the regular season after head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) are on track to be placed on injured reserve this week, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Shanahan noted that McCaffrey is facing a six-week recovery for the PCL sprain he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Bills, while Mason is dealing with a high-ankle sprain that will keep him out through Week 17, and quite likely, the Jan. 5 regular-season finale in Arizona. The injuries vault Guerendo to the top of the depth chart as the lone healthy back on the 53-man roster, though the 49ers are expected to elevate Patrick Taylor from their practice squad and add another running back to provide further depth ahead of this Sunday's game against the Bears. A rookie fourth-round pick out of Louisville, Guerero has seen limited action this season but has averaged a strong 5.9 yards per carry while scoring two touchdowns on his 42 totes and adding five catches for 19 yards on six targets. Guerendo is a size/speed specimen at six-foot and 221 pounds who recorded a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine. With a three-down role likely in the offing for the final five weeks of the season, Guerendo will be the top waiver-wire priority in fantasy leagues where he's available.

The Jets signed Nwangwu to their active roster Monday.

The fourth-year pro from Iowa State made his Jets debut in a Week 13 loss to the Seahawks, returning three kickoffs for 157 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown. Nwangwu's performance Sunday was enough to land him a spot on the Jets' active roster, likely serving as the team's top kick returner and a depth piece in their running back room for the remainder of the season. In a corresponding move, the Jets waived 2023 fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda.

The 49ers are expected to place Mason on injured reserve this week after he suffered a high-ankle sprain late in Sunday's 35-10 loss to the Bills, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

After Christian McCaffrey suffered a PCL injury to his right knee in the first half, Mason took on a larger offensive role versus Buffalo, finishing with 13 carries for 78 yards. Though he would have been in position to lead the San Francisco backfield for the rest of the season with McCaffrey's injury expected to require a six-week recovery, Mason is instead on track to join McCaffrey and IR and won't be eligible for activation until Week 18. With Mason and McCaffrey set to miss time, rookie Isaac Guerendo is now in line to take over as the 49ers' lead back beginning with this Sunday's game against the Bears. Patrick Taylor likely will be promoted from the practice squad to serve as the Niners' backup running back over the next month.

Abanikanda was waived by the Jets on Monday.

Abanikanda, a 2023 fifth-round pick from Pittsburgh, had yet to appear in a game this season after falling down the team's depth chart. The 22-year-old recorded 22 carries for 70 yards over 75 offensive snaps in six regular-season games with the Jets in 2023. If he clears waivers, Abanikanda could land on the Jets' practice squad.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that McCaffrey is headed to injured reserve and is expected to need at least six weeks to recover from the PCL injury he suffered in Sunday's 35-10 loss to the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

McCaffrey sustained the injury in the first half of Sunday's contest, when his right knee appeared to give out on him when he attempted to run upfield on a pitch to the outside. Jordan Mason stepped in for McCaffrey and took on the majority of the snaps out of the backfield, but he too is bound for IR after suffering a high-ankle sprain late in the contest. With the top two backs on the 49ers' roster out until at least Week 18, rookie Isaac Guerendo vaults to the top spot on the depth chart and could be in line for a three-down role, making him a priority pickup in all fantasy leagues where he's available. McCaffrey, meanwhile, could have an outside chance at making it back in action if the 49ers make a deep playoff run, though their postseason hopes are fading as they head into Week 14 with a 5-7 record. Shanahan said that McCaffrey won't require surgery on the knee injury, so the star tailback should be back to full health in advance of OTAs in the spring.

McNichols took six carries for 32 yards in a 42-19 win over the Titans on Sunday.

McNichols didn't benefit much from Austin Ekeler's absence due to a concussion, with Brian Robinson getting most of the backfield touches early in the game and Chris Rodriguez then taking 11 carries during the fourth quarter. McNichols played 25 percent of snaps, well behind Robinson (47 percent) and slightly behind Rodriguez (28 percent), although the latter mostly played in the fourth quarter of a blowout. Ekeler will miss at least three more games after Washington's Week 14 bye, but any considerable fantasy value for McNichols might also require Robinson missing time.

Guerendo took four carries for 19 yards and a touchdown while losing three yards on his only reception in Sunday's 35-10 loss to the Bills.

Guerendo got some extra run in the second half after starter Christian McCaffrey (knee) left the game due to injury at halftime. Jordan Mason (13-78-0) took over as the primary rusher from there on out, but Guerendo benefited from scoring the 49ers' only offensive touchdown in the blowout loss. Mason is the name to grab on waivers this week, but he showed some durability issues handling the starter's role earlier this season in addition to being evaluated for a concussion against Buffalo. Guerendo is more of a stash option for next Sunday's tilt against the Bears, but he carries some appeal for those in deeper leagues with CMC likely done for the year.

Corum rushed eight times for 42 yards during Sunday's 21-14 victory against the Saints.

It was a day of career highs for Corum, as he was on the field for nearly a third (18 of 56) of the Rams' snaps on offense. Kyren Williams, who had been struggling with fumbles in recent weeks, responded with an excellent 15-104-1 rushing line on the day, with the yardage representing a season high. While Corum's role did increase, Williams still handled the bulk of the workload, capping the rookie's upside heading into a Week 14 showdown against the Bills.

Bigsby carried seven times for 28 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards during Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Texans.

The 23-year-old returned from a one-game absence due to an ankle issue and played 46 percent of the offensive snaps. Bigsby appeared on track to take over the starting job earlier this season after a five-game stretch in which he tallied 447 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, but Travis Etienne now has a bit more upside because he sees more passing-down work in this backfield committee.

Spears rushed the ball one time for three yards in Sunday's 42-19 loss to the Commanders. He was not targeted.

Spears returned from a one-game absence caused by a concussion but was on the field for only 13 offensive snaps. Titans running backs combined to record only nine rushing attempts, but his usage still was concerning due to his lack of work as a receiver. Though Tennessee has stated it wants to lessen Tony Pollard's workload, he handily accounted for 12 touches compared to one for Spears.