James (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
The rookie fifth-rounder has yet to see regular-season action and will be a healthy scratch for a fifth consecutive game. Christian McCaffrey, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo will serve as the 49ers' active running backs for Sunday's road tilt.
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49ers' Jordan James: Healthy scratch again
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James (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday night's game against the Rams, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
Thursday marks the fourth consecutive game that James has been a healthy scratch after missing Week 1 due to a finger injury. The 49ers will once again roll with a three-man backfield of Christian McCaffrey, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo for Thursday's NFC West bout. James' next chance to make his NFL regular-season debut is Week 6 against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 12, though he's unlikely to play in that game unless McCaffrey, Robinson or Guerendo were to miss time.
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49ers' Jordan James: Healthy scratch verus Jacksonville
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James (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Jaguars, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
James will be a healthy scratch for the third week in a row. With the rookie fifth-rounder inactive, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo will serve as the backup running backs behind starter Christian McCaffrey. James also missed Week 1 with a finger injury, so his next opportunity to make his NFL regular-season debut will come Week 5 versus the Rams on Thursday, Oct. 2.
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49ers' Jordan James: Won't play against Arizona
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James (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
James missed the first game of the regular season due to a finger injury, and while he has fully recovered, he will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game. With the rookie fifth-rounder in street clothes, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo will operate as the 49ers' depth running backs behind Christian McCaffrey. James' next chance to make his NFL regular-season debut is Week 4 against the Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 28.
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49ers' Jordan James: Good to go for Week 2
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James (finger) doesn't have an injury designation heading into Sunday's Week 2 contest against the Saints, Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
James suffered a broken finger in early August and didn't suit up Week 1 against Seattle. However, the rookie running back logged an LP/LP/FP progression in practice this week and wasn't given an injury designation heading into the weekend. Though that means James could make his NFL debut Sunday, he may see limited or no work on offense as SF's No. 4 running back behind Christian McCaffrey, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo.
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49ers' Jordan James: Tracking to play Week 2
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James (finger) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
The rookie fifth-rounder was not cleared to play against Seattle in Week 1 due to a broken finger that he suffered in early August. He has opened the week with back-to-back limited practices, but 49ers' general manager John Lynch relayed Thursday that James will be "ready to go" against the Saints on Sunday, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports. If he is cleared to make his NFL regular-season debut, James would likely struggle to see backfield snaps as the 49ers' RB4 behind Christian McCaffrey, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo.
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49ers' Jordan James: Limited at practice
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James (finger) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
James was once again limited at practice to open the week as he continues to recover from a broken finger that he suffered in early August. The 21-year-old will have two more opportunities to log a full practice before Sunday's contest against the Saints.
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49ers' Jordan James: Not playing vs. Seattle
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James (finger) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
James broke his finger in early August, which limited his practice participation this past week. He won't play in Sunday's regular-season opener, but the good news for the 49ers is that Christian McCaffrey (calf) has been cleared to play, with Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo serving in rotation. James' next chance to make his 2025 regular-season debut is Week 2 against the Saints on Sunday, Sept. 14 in New Orleans.
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49ers' Jordan James: Doubtful for Week 1
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James (finger) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's contest in Seattle, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The broken finger that James suffered in early August thus is poised to delay the rookie fifth-round pick's pro debut. Whenever he's healthy, though, there will be a chance for him to mix into the 49ers backfield if Christian McCaffrey's recent calf injury lingers or even develops into Achilles tendinitis as it did a season ago. At the moment, Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo are the healthy running backs on San Francisco's active roster.
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49ers' Jordan James: Limited in Thursday's practice
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James (finger) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
James broke his finger in early August and has been a limited participant in each of the first two practices of the week. The rookie fifth-rounder figures to see minimal work out of the backfield this season. However, with Christian McCaffrey popping up on Thursday's injury report due to a calf injury, James could be thrust into the RB3 role behind Brian Robinson and Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) if McCaffrey is unable to play in Sunday's regular-season opener against the Seahawks.
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49ers' Jordan James: Back on practice field
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James (finger) returned to practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
James missed some time early in training camp due to a knee injury and then broke a finger not long afterward that required surgery, resulting in him missing the 49ers' entire preseason slate. Despite the time away from the field, the rookie fifth-round pick survived roster cuts and resides in a backfield led by Christian McCaffrey and followed by newcomer Brian Robinson and second-year pro Isaac Guerendo. As a result, James may be a regular inactive on game days, even when he's healthy enough to be available.
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49ers' Jordan James: Breaks finger, out a few weeks
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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that James will miss a couple weeks due to a broken finger, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
James will require surgery to address his finger injury, ruling him out for Saturday's preseason opener against the Broncos and potentially also the 49ers' second preseason matchup, which will occur Aug. 16 versus the Raiders. With Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) also expected to miss a couple weeks, all of Patrick Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Corey Kiner will benefit from increased reps behind star running back Christian McCaffrey.
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49ers' Jordan James: Returns to practice
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James (knee) returned to practice Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
James was back after missing just a few days, while fellow backup running back Isaac Guerendo is out again due to an apparent shoulder injury he suffered Saturday. With Christian McCaffrey resting, James may even get a chunk of the first-team reps Monday as the 49ers prepare for Saturday's preseason opener against Denver.
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49ers' Jordan James: Headed to Bay Area
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The 49ers selected James in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 147th overall.
James initially saw work as a part-time contributor with the Oregon Ducks in 2023, when he racked up 107 carries for 759 yards and 11 touchdowns working in tandem with Bucky Irving, but the former took over the lead job last season and posted workhorse numbers, racking up 233 totes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns to earn Second Team All-Big Ten honors. He didn't test particularly well at the combine and isn't viewed as a home-run threat, but he's quick to find the hole and get downhill. James joins a 49ers team that dealt Jordan Mason to the Vikings this offseason, leaving Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo (knee/ankle) at the top of the depth chart. Given McCaffrey's injury history, there's a non-zero chance James will see the field as a rookie if he can beat out Patrick Taylor for third-string duties.
