Who Should I Start? James Conner or Isaac Guerendo

Wednesday, January 1, 4:15 PM

According to the team, the Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) was placed on injured reserve, which will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season. In a corresponding move, Michael Carter was promoted to the active roster. Conner suffered a knee injury during their Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers and was listed as questionable leading up to their Week 17 tilt against the Rams. Conner was able to suit up in this contest but exited the game after just 12 offensive snaps. In this game, Conner ran the ball just four times for four yards and brought in two receptions for four yards. Rookie Trey Benson (ankle) is also on injured reserve, which will leave DeeJay Dallas and now Michael Carter as the lone backs for their final game. Carter saw the most work when Conner exited both games, which suggests he will be the lead option on Sunday afternoon.

Monday, January 6, 10:31 PM

An MRI exam on Monday morning revealed that San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (ankle, knee) suffered an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain in the loss to the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to a source. Guerendo will have plenty of time to heal up in the offseason, and the best news is that he didn't suffer any damage to his ACL. Both of the injuries are to his left leg. The 24-year-old fourth-round pick didn't see much of an opportunity in 2024 until late in the season when both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) were ruled out for the year, but when he did get his chances, he was pretty effective out of the Niners' backfield. Guerendo finished with 5.0 yards per carry for 420 yards and four TDs on 84 carries through 16 games. He should serve as valuable insurance for McCaffrey in 2025.