What I'm Watching Closest During 49ers Training Camp (And Why You Should Too)

Who will be the backup to Christian McCaffrey?

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There will be plenty of talking points surrounding the San Francisco 49ers as training camp gets underway on Saturday, July 26.

I love training camp. It's one of the best times of the year because teams gain a clearer understanding of their roster before the inevitable 53-man selection at the end of August.

This is what I'm watching most closely during training camp.

Who will be the backup to Christian McCaffrey?

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) on the field after win against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The running back position is one of the biggest question marks for the 49ers heading into training camp. It's not hard to see why either.

The front office has reiterated multiple times that it wants to reduce Christian McCaffrey's workload, and that absolutely needs to happen. If he sees anything close to the usage he had in 2025, it likely won't end well. The last thing this offense needs is a down year like 2024.

They decided to spend a sixth-round pick on Brian Robinson Jr. last season, only to let him walk for extremely affordable money in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons. That seemed to make Jordan James a shoo-in to serve as McCaffrey's primary backup this season.

Then the 49ers surprised everyone by drafting Kaelon Black in the third round. While Black has plenty of intriguing traits that help explain why San Francisco valued him so highly, it also leaves many unanswered questions about what their plan is.

Suddenly, the running back depth chart is far less clear. There may not even be a designated RB2, with James and Black instead rotating in whenever McCaffrey needs a breather.

James didn't record a single carry or reception last season, and while Black arrives with plenty of upside, he's a rookie. That means the 49ers are effectively relying on two extremely inexperienced players to step up whenever McCaffrey evidently needs to skip a few plays.

At the very least, both players will have 10 training camp practices to earn more reps, develop within Shanahan's offense and give the coaching staff a clearer idea of where they stand on the depth chart. It can be imagined both would feature in one of the three preseason games.

James already has familiarity after spending a year in Shanahan's system, while Black's aggressive, physical running style was clearly something the 49ers admired before selecting him in the third round, making this one of the team's most intriguing position battles heading into training camp.