Remember when Christian McCaffrey lit up the 2023 season—snagging offensive player of the Year honors with over 2,200 scrimmage yards and 21 TDs? Then came 2024, and everything flipped. First, an ankle setback, then Achilles trouble, and finally a knee injury in December. Four games. Just 348 total scrimmage yards. In his absence, Jordan Mason stepped in and flashed with a couple of big performances—a reminder that, in the NFL, depth isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

Fast forward to now, Mason’s been shipped out to Minnesota, and the question hanging over Santa Clara is simple: who’s picking up the slack behind CMC in 2025? Kyle Shanahan insisted back in April that, “Christian is healthy. He’s doing great.” But the HC kept the door open. “You always hope to address (the running back position) every year,” he added, addressing the NFL draft.

And sure, they did draft one this spring (Jordan James). The twist? Well, the rookie isn’t the favorite for RB2, and rightfully so. But a 49ers‘ insider claims he knows exactly who is, and it’s not who most folks in Santa Clara expect. “Well, if the season started tomorrow, it’d probably be Patrick Taylor Jr,” the Niners’ reporter, Matt Maiocco, told Ari Meirov on Wednesday, August 13.

“He’s a veteran who made the roster last year based a lot on special teams and then ended up playing some later in the season after all those injuries that you alluded to. So, it would be Patrick Taylor Jr.” If the chatter carries any weight, the second-year running back, Isaac Guerendo, is expected to complement McCaffrey in the 2025 regular season.

However, Matt Maiocco hinted that the Niners would go ahead with Patrick Taylor as the RB2. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Packers in 2020, the guy is entering the sixth season of his NFL career (missed his rookie season). Taylor spent four seasons in Green Bay, where he showed up in 34 games and rushed for over 250 yards across three seasons before signing with the 49ers. San Francisco brought Taylor in April last year and promoted him to the active roster in December 2024.

The guy appeared in 12 games and rushed for just 74 yards. It’s still not confirmed if he’d be the RB2 or not, or who’ll be the RB2. The odds are in favor of Guerendo. But Taylor managed to acquire the Niners insider’s vote to become the RB2. After all, Jordan Mason won’t be there to complement Christian McCaffrey.

The 49ers traded Christian McCaffrey’s backup to free cap space

Back in March 2025, the 49ers traded Jordan Mason, along with pick No. 187, to the Vikings in exchange for Pick No. 160 and a sixth-rounder in the 2026 NFL draft. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news. If we take a look at it from the Vikings’ perspective, it’s a huge win. After all, they’ve got a young back who is now entering his prime and is still fresh without any severe injury.

To spice it up, the 26-year-old will presumably become an offensive star in Minnesota while complementing Aaron Jones, who’s the Vikings’ RB1. But when we look at it from the 49ers’ perspective… well, it was a business move. No harsh feelings from the front office, but that’s how the business side works in the NFL. Entering the fourth season of his career, the 49ers gave Mason a second-round tender. The reason?

Well, for starters, they didn’t want to lose him and get nothing in return. The twist? Well, as per the rule-book, a second-round tender costs more than $5 million (around $5.3 million), and let’s just say the Niners just couldn’t afford it. Why? Because they’ve already been paying Christian McCaffrey $19 million per season. The result? Jordan Mason had to go. And just like that, he’s about to kick off his fourth season with a new team and with a new quarterback. As for the Niners? We’ll see if they make Patrick Taylor RB2.