49ers Sign Running Back Who Could Make Their Roster in Training Camp

The San Francisco 49ers have taken a small bite from the injury bug early in training camp. So, the team made a couple of moves to make the roster deeper. The 49ers signed running back Khalil Herbert and defensive lineman Titus Leo. To make room for the two, they waived cornerback Eli Apple and waived Mikail Kamara with an injury designation.

San Francisco 49ers Sign Two Players, Including One Former Starter

Herbert is the most notable name. He is entering his sixth NFL season and has 13 career starts along with 416 NFL carries. While his career-high in carries is 132, that was back in 2023. He has 52 carries in the last two seasons.

So, while he is unlikely to be coming after Christian McCaffrey or looking for a significant role, he could make the team. The signing likely speaks to the injury status of Jordan James, who is nursing fractured ribs. With James and Isaac Guerendo out, the running back room was starting to get thin.

If those two injuries lingered into the season, the 49ers could have a third running back in Herbert who has experience and could get an active helmet on game days. Apple was clearly going to get cut, as he was not in the top seven outside cornerbacks.

The Leo addition is much more of a one-for-one swap. Kamara was a rookie UDFA from Indiana. He got hurt before he could make his mark on the team, and his season is over. So, the team added Leo. Leo was a sixth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL draft.

He spent his rookie year on the IR and was cut in his second season. He caught on with the New England Patriots but was let go in the 2025 offseason. Then, he spent 2025 training camp with the Cleveland Browns and the 2025 regular season on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.

This is much more of a training camp body. First, he is replacing Kamara, not James or Guerendo. Second, the edge room does not have significant injuries, but they are banged up. Keion White is working his way back onto the field, and Mykel Williams should be back from his ACL injury soon.

Still, they do not want to push these two and Nick Bosa can only get so much work. So, the team needed depth on the edge for the next month.

Add us as a preferred source on Google