As head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch met with reporters on August 31 to evaluate their initial 53-man roster, Shanahan made a candid admission: Less than two weeks before their Week 1 opener in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers still do not know who will fill two critical offensive roles.
When asked directly who holds the lead for starting left guard and backup running back behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, Shanahan bypassed typical coachspeak.
"Don't know yet," Shanahan said. "Nope. It's the truth," Shanahan said. "Usually, we get all three of these practices and then by that Monday is like when we come in and usually do leadership council, captains and, ‘all right, this is who we're rolling
with.’ But, we haven't had those three practices yet and we just added a new guy to the group too. So, it's truly fluid."
Here were Kyle Shanahan's comments on the left guard / backup running back battle that will continue through the next few practices. pic.twitter.com/sA1Tzm59bJ
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) August 31, 2026
That "new guy" is interior lineman Jarrett Patterson, whom San Francisco acquired via a trade recently to provide versatility at both guard and center. Patterson enters a murky left guard picture alongside rookie draft pick Carver Willis and second-year guard Connor Colby. The 49ers recently cut Robert Jones, leaving the starting role wide open. Patterson could push for immediate first-team reps during this week's practice window before the team boards its flight to Australia.
The backfield behind McCaffrey remains equally unsettled. Following a 2025 campaign where McCaffrey logged 311 carries, the 49ers are eager to manage his workload. Second-year back Jordan James and rookie Kaelon Black have been locked in a tight battle for the primary relief role, though injuries limited both players during training camp. Shanahan also noted that wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will continue to take snaps out of the backfield, further complicating the rotation.
With an accelerated calendar due to their international travel, Shanahan expects to use every available practice rep to determine his Week 1 starters.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Shanahan admits 49ers have two key position battles undecided
