Who Should I Start? Patrick Taylor Jr. or Trey Sermon

Wednesday, August 20, 9:56 AM

The San Francisco 49ers have placed veteran running back Patrick Taylor Jr. (shoulder) on the season-ending injured reserve list. Taylor suffered a dislocated shoulder in the team's second preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he joins the growing list of 49ers running backs struck by injury. While presumed backup Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) was able to return to practice on Tuesday after missing several weeks with a shoulder injury of his own, the team has already lost Ameer Abdullah (ribs) for the season. Rookie Jordan James has already missed a few weeks due to a broken finger. After trading Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings, the 49ers' running back depth has been seriously tested already, which is the last thing the team needs in their efforts to keep All-Pro Christian McCaffrey healthy. Jeff Wilson Jr. and Ke'Shawn Vaughn will likely see the majority of work in the team's final preseason game. If he can remain healthy, McCaffrey once more enters the year as perhaps the biggest difference maker in fantasy football. Still, given his checkered injury history, Guerendo is one of the league's most important backups to roster.

Sunday, May 11, 1:38 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free-agent running back Trey Sermon to an undisclosed one-year deal on Sunday, sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Sermon will head to the AFC North after spending the last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as a backup to Jonathan Taylor, where he saw 91 carries for 319 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and two touchdowns on the ground in 31 games (three starts). He added 19 receptions on 25 targets for 112 yards through the air. The 26-year-old former third-rounder (88th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 out of Ohio State will now join a crowded backfield in Pittsburgh that includes rookie third-rounder Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Warren and free-agent acquisition Kenneth Gainwell. Sermon only averaged 2.8 yards a carry in 2024 and will likely need an injury or two to resurface on the fantasy radar in the Steel City.