49ers could target former 1,300-yard back due to Christian McCaffrey injury

Patrick McAvoy

49ers could target former 1,300-yard back due to Christian McCaffrey injury image

The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with an extremely important injury right now.

San Francisco currently is without the services of star running back Christian McCaffrey and could be for a while. He is on the Injured Reserve and will miss at least three more games, but there currently is no timeline for his return.

If he will miss much more time than that, it could make sense to bring in another veteran running back for depth behind Jordan Mason. He has been great for San Francisco, but he already has started more games than ever at any other point in his career.

One player who could make a lot of sense and is still available in free agency is former Kanas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt. He is just 29 years old and is a one-time Pro Bowler. 

He was a star with Kansas City and racked up over 1,300 rushing yards in his rookie season in 2017 and led the National Football League. Hunt only spent one more season with Kansas City and then joined the Browns.

Hunt was with the Browns from 2019 through the 2023 season and mainly was a depth piece with Nick Chubb. The two paired well together and helped give Cleveland one of the best running back tandem in football for years.

He may not be what he once was, but he could be a serviceable backup behind Mason and give the 49ers an option in case of another injury. Things haven't gone the 49ers' way this season and they should add more help.

More NFL: Christian McCaffrey Injury Update: 49ers coach gives devastating update

Patrick McAvoy

Patrick McAvoy Photo

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sportswriting across baseball, football and basketball. He has provided coverage for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Celtics throughout his career. 

Outside of journalism, Patrick also has received a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Brandeis University and studied communication and business at Merrimack College where he earned his Bachelor's Degree.