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49ers Rule Out Two Starters Against the Dolphins

The 49ers will not have these two key starters available against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Jose Luis Sanchez III

Dec 8, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (31) stands on the field before the start of the game against the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (31) stands on the field before the start of the game against the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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For once, the San Francisco 49ers don't have a ton of players inactive on their injury report.

Still, it will sting them after they ruled out these two starters against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Rookie Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) and star offensive tackle Trent Williams (ankle) won't be available for the game. Guerendo is nursing two injuries that he sustained in the last two contests.

First, he suffered a foot sprain against the Chicago Bears, then a hamstring issue against the Los Angeles Rams. Guerendo is struggling to endure as the starter. He might be better suited as a rotational player given how he keeps getting dinged up.

The running back room of the 49ers becomes razor-thin with Guerendo out, especially if it's beyond this week. The 49ers will look to Patrick Taylor Jr. as the starter. Israel Abanikanda, who the 49ers picked up off waivers after the New York Jets released him a few weeks ago, could also see some run against the Dolphins.

The only alternative would be to run Deebo Samuel more, which hasn't been successful this season. The 49ers should go with Abanikanda to see how he fits in the offense rather than waste any run plays on Samuel.

As for Williams, it's looking more and more like his 2024 season is over. There should be zero expectation of him returning for the year's final two games. The 49ers should let him rest and recover.

Here are the players who are ruled as questionable against Miami: Nick Bosa (hip, oblique), Dre Greenlaw (knee, Achilles), and Robert Beal (ankle). It's a great sign that Bosa and Greenlaw made it through the practice week without any setbacks. Expect them to play on Sunday.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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