Kaelon Black returns to joint practice Tuesday

Black had missed two weeks with a thigh injury before emerging as the clear top running back with McCaffrey sidelined. Barrows said Black “certainly didn’t look rusty, taking an early carry to the left for 50 yards and showing violence and strength on several ensuing runs. Black also had a catch at the goal line in a red zone drill.” Niners players and coaches were impressed by Black, who was taken with the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. “I thought he looked good hitting the hole and running hard,” Brock Purdy said. “You could tell there was a different level of intensity when he touched the ball.” With Jordan James struggling through a broken rib, Black will have a real chance to establish himself as the Niners’ RB2 ahead of the regular season. Black should be stashed in deeper fantasy formats in case CMC, 30, misses time in 2026.

The injuries continue to mount for the 49ers early in camp. Evans is reportedly dealing with a quad strain that we will hopefully learn more about later, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) and Kaelon Black (adductor) are also missing Monday’s practice due to injuries. The recent string of injuries now makes for four receivers the Niners have seen go down in camp, with Christian Kirk (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) both being injured last week. We will check back in when we receive updates on the status of these players.

James possibly had an edge over rookie Kaelon Black for the No. 2 gig in San Francisco heading into camp, but that is entirely out the window now. With Isaac Guerendo also injured, Black is already the last man standing behind Christian McCaffrey. With a decent training camp, he will enter the season as the backup to the most valuable running back in all of fantasy football. Black is officially one of the better late-round dart throws, particularly in leagues with deeper benches.

Wagoner said he saw “some good stuff” from James as a rusher and receiver today, but noted it’s still early. Today was the 49ers’ first training camp practice. Wagoner’s notes seemed to indicate rookie RB Kaelon Black is in the No. 3 spot while veteran RB Patrick Taylor Jr. sits at No. 4. Things can change quickly, but today’s report backs up what we catalogued here from March through May — that James is next up behind starting RB Christian McCaffrey. He is a worthwhile late-round dart throw in summer drafts right now.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan broke the news this afternoon. This is a bummer. Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur said he believed Guerendo was “buried” on the depth chart and will likely “be looking for a new team” at some point. The team could end up releasing him with an injury settlement, but we suppose some sort of reserve list placement is possible. 49ers RBs Jordan James and Kaelon Black can be expected to compete for RB2 duties at this time. The team also signed RBs Jordan Mims and Jermar Jefferson today.

Shockingly and inexplicably the second running back off the draft board in the 2026 NFL Draft, Black out of Indiana appears to be a solid-enough blocker who might earn snaps behind Christian McCaffrey this season. Jordan James, Barrow added, remains the likely RB2 behind McCaffrey. Black’s blocking ability “won’t make him popular in fantasy football circles, but it’s something a rookie needs to prove before he gets meaningful snaps.” In 32 pass-blocking opportunities in 2025, Black did not allow a quarterback hit while giving up two QB pressures. If he proves himself a reliable blocker in training camp, Black could see significant snaps in the 49ers offense.

Black is expected to compete with second-year RB Jordan James in training camp for the primary backup role. James, 22, played just three offensive snaps last year, though The Athletic’s Vic Tafur said in February that “it seems like the 49ers have big plans” for him this season. Black, 24, is the latest in a long list of running backs drafted by the 49ers in the mid rounds. The 49ers’ results in this effort have not been great, but perhaps Black is the player who makes it all worth it. He scored 10 touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ championship run last year.

Same. After Kaelon Black was added in the third round, it seems like he’ll be the real competitor for Jordan James in the backup spot. Guerendo didn’t exactly play poorly when given a chance, but the 49ers simply have to draft a running back every year per unspoken NFL guidelines. If Guerendo is released, he could be an interesting reclamation project elsewhere.

Black (5’9”/208) spent his six-year college career with head coach Curt Cignetti, joining him at James Madison in 2020, and then transferring to Indiana in 2024 when the Hoosiers hired Cignetti to be their coach. During Indiana’s 2025 national championship run, Black split duties with Roman Hemby, but still managed to rush for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries. Black saw 158 of his carries come on first or second down, per TruMedia, and converted four of his 20 carries inside the opponents’ five-yard line into scores. He’s a physical back who doesn’t shy away from contact and pushes to pick up every yard before the play is dead. He caught a career-high 25 passes during his 2023 season at James Madison, but managed just nine receptions on 12 targets in his two seasons at Indiana. In San Francisco Black will struggle to carve out any sort of consistent role unless the Niners struggle with backfield injuries.