Who Should I Start? Ameer Abdullah or Jaret Patterson

Monday, August 11, 8:41 PM

The San Francisco 49ers have placed running back Ameer Abdullah (ribs) on season-ending injured reserve, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Abdullah, who just joined the 49ers as a free agent on July 31, suffered a rib injury in a preseason-opening 30-9 loss to the Denver Broncos this past Saturday. While the 32-year-old was unlikely to make much of an impact this season (if any), it's another hit to San Francisco's depth in the backfield. The team is already set to go multiple weeks without injured Christian McCaffrey backups Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) and Jordan James (finger). The 49ers brought back Jeff Wilson Jr. in free agency on Sunday in the wake of Abdullah's injury to provide some much-needed healthy depth behind McCaffrey.

Monday, October 27, 6:48 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Jaret Patterson was elevated from the practice squad for Thursday night's 37-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings and served as the primary backup to Kimani Vidal. Patterson ran the ball 11 times for 30 yards (2.7 YPC), showing effort but little ability to break tackles. The Chargers ran the ball 43 times overall, relying heavily on Vidal as they controlled the game. With Hassan Haskins (hamstring) and Omarion Hampton (ankle) sidelined and Nyheim Hines seeing limited snaps, Patterson may get another opportunity in Week 9 against a struggling Tennessee Titans defense. Patterson's value depends on whether he's elevated again, as the team will need to make a roster decision soon with multiple injured backs. The 25-year-old played college football for the Buffalo Bulls before signing with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He rushed for 1,072 yards in just six games with the Bulls and had a 409-yard, eight-touchdown game against Kent State during his junior year.