Jordan James - NFL News, Rumors, & Updates

Inactive Thursday James (coach's decision) is officially inactive for Thursday's game against the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Impact The 2025 fifth-rounder will not suit up in Week 1, leaving Christian McCaffrey and rookie third-rounder Kaelon Black as the only healthy running backs active for the 49ers on Thursday. James' role moving forward may depend on how effective Black is to start the season.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Fantasy Football Managers Should Be Cautious in the Kaelon Black, Jordan James Handcuff Battle Who is the better handcuff to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco: Rookie, Kaelon Black or second-year option Jordan James?

2 DAYS AGO • SI.COM

49ers Backfield Depth Behind Christian McCaffrey Looks Much Improved The 49ers' running back depth behind Christian McCaffrey looks much improved in 2026, with rookie Kaelon Black and Jordan James giving Kyle...

AUGUST 28 • SI.COM

Strong finish to preseason James (ribs) rushed eight times for 35 yards and brought in one of two targets for 20 yards in the 49ers' 18-12 preseason win over the Raiders on Thursday.

Impact James was the second 49ers running back to log a touch behind Kaelon Black, touching the ball on all three plays of the team's fourth drive. James netted eight rushing yards on that trio of rush attempts, and he proceeded to rattle off his game-long 17-yard gain just before the two-minute warning the next time San Francisco had the ball. Thursday marked James' only action of preseason after he previously dealt with a rib fracture, and it remains to be seen how his splash plays as both a runner and receiver impact his standing heading into the regular season.

AUGUST 28 • ROTOWIRE

Jordan James Picks Up 20 Yards vs. Raiders San Francisco 49ers RB Jordan James rushes for 20 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders in Preseason Week 3.

AUGUST 28 • 49ERS.COM

Kittle Returns Ahead of Preseason Finale vs. Raiders | The Saloon Highlighting TE George Kittle's remarkably early return to practice, the return of running backs Kaelon Black and Jordan James, and the 49er...

AUGUST 27 • 49ERS.COM

Back at practice James (ribs) returned to practice Saturday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Impact With Christian McCaffrey tending to unspecified tightness, Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) on the active/PUP list and Patrick Taylor (undisclosed, IR) out for the season, James joined healthy RBs Kaelon Black, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White and Khalil Herbert on the practice field in some capacity Saturday. This marks James' first on-field work since July 28, but it remains to be seen if he'll be available for the 49ers' preseason finale this coming Thursday at Las Vegas.

AUGUST 22 • ROTOWIRE

Not suiting up James (ribs) will not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Titans, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Impact James fractured his rib in late July and has still not recovered from the issue. The running back is set to be the primary relief back behind Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed), but if he can get healthy may see starting snaps depending on McCaffrey's outlook for the season. Running back Kaelon Black (thigh) is also not participating in Thursday's game, leaving Patrick Taylor, Sincere McCormick, Khalil Herbert and Zamir White to absorb all of Thursday's carries in an effort to climb a depth chart littered with injuries before cutdown day.

AUGUST 14 • ROTOWIRE

49ers Managing Christian McCaffrey’s Camp Load After Dealing With Tightness

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey was held out of practice with what the team described as general tightness.

AUGUST 10 • FOX SPORTS

49ers Managing Christian McCaffrey’s Camp Load After Dealing With Tightness

5 San Francisco 49ers Losing Ground at Training Camp After the first week of training camp, several San Francisco 49ers have seen their standing on the depth chart take a hit, including Jordan...

AUGUST 5 • SI.COM

49ers response to Jordan James injury is a band-aid fix on an internal wound The latest 49ers' free-agent signing is a failed attempt to fix a long-term problem.

AUGUST 3 • NINERNOISE.COM

Receiver Mike Evans misses practice for the 49ers with a strained quadriceps

Wide receiver Mike Evans missed practice for the San Francisco 49ers because of a strained quadriceps in the latest injury to hit the team’s receiver room

AUGUST 3 • Associated Press

Rookie Kaelon Black gets a golden chance amid 49ers' latest bad injury news The 49ers will be without Jordan James for a little while, opening the door for rookie Kaelon Black to take a lead on the depth chart.

JULY 30 • NINERNOISE.COM

49ers Share Bad News on Jordan James and Malik Mustapha Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall isn't the only player that the San Francisco 49ers shared bad news on today. Running back Jordan James and safe...

JULY 29 • SI.COM

Diagnosed with fractured rib James fractured a rib during Tuesday's practice, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Impact It's a rough start to training camp for a player that some had tabbed as the favorite for San Francisco's No. 2 RB job. James should be ready well before Week 1, but missed practice time is a big deal for a player in his situation. The Niners currently have third-round pick Kaelon Black and veteran journeymen Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick for depth behind Christian McCaffrey.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Opens camp as RB2 James appears to be operating as the No. 2 running back behind Christian McCaffrey to begin training camp, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Impact James already looked like the favorite for San Francisco's top backup job, and a strong early camp will only strengthen his case over rookie Kaelon Black and veterans Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) and Patrick Taylor. McCaffrey remains locked in as the 49ers' offensive centerpiece, but James would carry meaningful fantasy handcuff value if he secures the No. 2 role outright. A 2025 fifth-round pick, James only suited up for three regular-season game as a rookie.

JULY 27 • ROTOWIRE

Jordan James somehow became a forgotten commodity in 49ers running back room The 49ers' 2026 pick of Kaelon Black has somehow pushed Jordan James to the periphery of the running back room, but will that end up staying...

JUNE 17 • NINERNOISE.COM

49ers Vow to Reduce Christian McCaffrey's Workload Whether He Wants That Or Not

Perhaps the only person around the San Francisco 49ers not worried about the heavy workload All-Pro Christian McCaffrey handled last season...

JUNE 9 • FOX SPORTS

49ers Vow to Reduce Christian McCaffrey's Workload Whether He Wants That Or Not

Christian McCaffrey is Carrying the 49ers in More than One Way The San Francisco 49ers have Christian McCaffrey, but Jordan James and Kaelon Black remain major question marks. That's keeping the 49ers ou...

JUNE 9 • SI.COM

History Suggests Jordan James Faces Long Odds with 49ers San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James is fighting history after a quiet rookie season, with few late-round backs finding success aft...

JUNE 3 • SI.COM

Could be headed for No. 2 RB role James "seems the most likely" of San Francisco's running backs behind Christian McCaffrey to earn the No. 2 running-back role for the upcoming campaign, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com re...

Impact Brian Robinson served as San Francisco's No. 2 back last season, but he's since joined Atlanta. That leaves James, Isaac Guerendo, rookie Kaelon Black, Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick to battle for pecking-order position behind McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 413 regular-season touches last year. The 49ers may want to reduce McCaffrey's workload in 2026, but that could hinge on whether a reliable No. 2 back emerges from the above-mentioned group. Wagoner suggests that James has an inside track on the job based partly on his strong play during garbage time in the 49ers' blowout loss to Seattle in the NFC divisional round, when he rushed six times for 28 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards. That's a very small sample size and is far from a guarantee that James -- who didn't play until Week 16 last year -- will take hold of top backup role, though it's worth noting that Guerendo, who may be James' biggest competition for the job, appeared in 14 regular-season games in 2025 but didn't log a single snap on offense.

MAY 22 • ROTOWIRE

49ers got a sneak peek of their backup RB of the future vs. Seahawks The San Francisco 49ers got a sneak peek of running back Jordan James against the Seahawks. The rookie may well be their backup running back...

JANUARY 18 • NINERNOISE.COM

Gets some late run on ST James did not record a touch while appearing in three games for the 49ers in 2025.

Impact The rookie fifth-round pick was a healthy scratch for the first 14 weeks of the regular season before being activated on special teams for the final three contests. The 49ers only deploy their top two running backs on offense, so all three of James' appearances were limited to kick coverage in 2025. James will have to prove his worth in training camp as a sophomore next season in order to return as a depth piece behind star RB Christian McCaffrey.

JANUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE

No run on offense in Week 17 James played just two snaps -- both on special teams -- in Sunday's 42-38 win over the Bears.

Impact After he was inactive for each of the 49ers' first 14 games, James suited up in Week 16 as the 49ers' No. 3 running back over Isaac Guerendo. The rookie fifth-round pick out of Oregon played just three snaps on offense in the 21-point win over the Colts, and with Sunday's contest proving to be more competitive, James disappeared from the game plan entirely. James could once again get the nod over Guerendo in Saturday's regular-season finale versus the Seahawks, but with the NFC West title on the line, expect Christian McCaffrey (back) and Brian Robinson to handle all of the available snaps at running back.

DECEMBER 31, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Active for MNF against Indy James is active for Monday night's game against the Colts.

Impact James is getting the nod as San Francisco's RB3 over Isaac Guerendo, who had been active for all 14 games prior to Monday night. James appears poised to make his regular-season NFL debut versus Indianapolis.

DECEMBER 23, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

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49ers Managing Christian McCaffrey’s Camp Load After Dealing With Tightness

Receiver Mike Evans misses practice for the 49ers with a strained quadriceps

49ers Vow to Reduce Christian McCaffrey's Workload Whether He Wants That Or Not