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The San Francisco 49ers are having a miserable season. They are 5-7 and have dealt with a cavalcade of injuries that did not stop on Sunday night. Both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason were placed on injured reserve after the loss to the Bills.
While Isaac Guerendo will be the featured back, they needed depth. The 49ers added running backs Israel Abanikanda and Ke'Shawn Vaughn to the practice squad, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Abanikanda was with the Jets and became a Hard Knocks star with the team in his rookie season. He showed some promise but got hurt at the end of the preseason in 2023.
When he came back, he got a little bit of run in the regular season. Abanakanda got 22 carries for 70 yards and did not score for the Jets. Since then, he has bounced from the practice squad to the 53-man roster in New York.
Vaughn has much more NFL experience, playing 43 games for the Buccaneers since 2020. He has 384 yards on 103 carries and two touchdowns in those games.
With the emergence of rookie Bucky Irving, the path was even harder for Vaughn in Tampa. With the running back injuries for the 49ers, he has a path to play.
The 49ers need a miracle to make the playoffs
After a miserable loss to the Bills on Sunday night, the 49ers have just an 8% chance to make the postseason per ESPN. After a heartbreaking overtime loss in the Super Bowl last season, they have had miserable luck.
There was a game where they had a 96% chance of winning but lost to the Rams. They have had nearly every important player miss at least one game due to injury. But they are still not mathematically eliminated.
The NFC West has not been as strong this year as in years past. With the Rams stumbling as well, the Seahawks have a one-game lead at 7-5. They head to Arizona for a massive game against the 6-6 Cardinals. If Arizona wins that game and the Niners beat the Bears, they will be one game back.
That puts the pressure on rookie Isaac Guerendo, who will get the lion's share of carries for the 49ers. While he has played well in limited playing time, it will be different when defenses are preparing for him. That was not the case when he racked up 100 yards against the Cowboys earlier this season.
If Abanakanda or Vaughn get a ton of carries, this season will be officially over for the 49ers. Guerendo could be a difference-making back who could help them pull off the playoff miracle.
