Jordan James appears to have the inside track on the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 2 running back job behind Christian McCaffrey, according to a report by Nick Wagoner of.com. The assessment comes as the team tries to sort out who can take some of the load off McCaffrey heading into the upcoming campaign.
Wagoner wrote that James “seems the most likely” candidate for the role, a judgment that carries some weight because the rookie was barely used until Week 16 last year. When he did get on the field, James flashed enough in a late-season cameo and in a playoff blowout at Seattle to stand apart from a crowded group of backups.
Against the Seahawks in the NFC divisional round, James rushed six times for 28 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards. That small sample may matter more than it first looks, because the 49ers are searching for a dependable relief option behind McCaffrey after he led the NFL with 413 regular-season touches last year.
San Francisco’s need is plain. Brian Robinson handled the No. 2 role last season before leaving for Atlanta, and the team now has several backs competing for the job, including Isaac Guerendo, rookie Kaelon Black, Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick. Guerendo, meanwhile, appeared in 14 regular-season games in 2025 but did not log a single snap on offense, leaving the depth chart unsettled behind the starter.
Coach Kyle Shanahan underscored the issue on Monday when he said the 49ers need someone to help McCaffrey throughout the year. “In order to have [McCaffrey] be as good as he can be throughout the whole year, we’ve got to get someone to help him,” Shanahan said. That is the practical backdrop to the competition now unfolding in camp and around the roster.
The tension for San Francisco is that the plan to reduce McCaffrey’s workload in 2026 depends on finding a backup the coaching staff trusts. James may have the lead now, but the job is not locked up, and the 49ers still need proof that one of their reserve runners can take meaningful snaps without the offense slipping. If that answer does not come quickly, McCaffrey could again end up carrying more than the team wants.
