Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo didn’t get the start to his NFL career he had hoped for. The 6’1″, 220-pound speedster was injured in the team’s very first practice. Guerendo suffered a right thigh injury and missed most of training camp. He was able to return to practice last week, just in time to play in the final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night.
And Guerendo wasted no time making his presence felt, running a kickoff 93 yards in the second quarter, the longest run of the 2024 preseason. He didn’t score on the return, but likely would have if a Raiders player hadn’t taken a good angle. If Guerendo is still experiencing lingering effects from his hamstring injury, they weren’t evident Friday night.
When asked about his return after the game, Guerendo said, “After the change of direction and all that stuff, it was probably about 140 yards. It was the first time I was able to get a little bit open, so it was exciting. When I got to the 15 yards, I was like, ‘My legs are getting a little heavy.’ I’ve just got to finish that next time.”
But Guerendo also played running back in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He finished the game with 11 carries for 32 yards. It wasn’t as dynamic as his kickoff return, but the 49ers coach liked what he saw.
Shanahan, who spoke to reporters on Sunday, was asked what he thought of the running back’s performance. “I thought he did a really good job, especially because it was the first day he wore shoulder pads since the Senior Bowl,” Shanahan said. “He got hurt on our first day of practice and then the two practices before Raiders week were without pads. For him to go that long without pads, I really liked the way he ran. He tried to break tackles, never let up on contact, tried to run through, hit the gaps well and had a really good first game.”
Guerendo has been able to showcase his 4.33 speed on kick returns. The 49ers may not need the rookie running back on offense this season, but there’s a good chance they’ll want to use him on special teams. And if what he showed Friday night is any indication, Guerendo could still have a big impact on his new team.
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