In a desperate moment, the 49ers turned to an unlikely source.
San Francisco acquired running back Israel Abanikananda from the Jets on waivers due to a series of injuries in the backfield.
In the team's trade announcement, the 49ers announced they have placed Christian McCaffrey back on injured reserve due to a sprained PCL suffered in Sunday night's loss to the Bills.
McCaffrey is expected to be out for about six weeks, and the injury will likely end the regular season.
Making matters worse, McCaffrey's backup Jordan Mason suffered a high ankle sprain, and manager Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that Mason is also expected to be placed on IR, meaning he will miss at least four games. He said he would do so.
Dual injuries and Elijah Mitchell on IR since August have left Isaac Gerendo as the only active running back for the 49ers.
Abanikananda was a fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2023 and played in six regular season games for the Jets last season.
The Brooklyn native had 70 yards on 22 attempts and 43 yards on seven receptions.
Abanikananda, 22, did not appear in any of the Jets' 12 games this year and was waived by the team on Monday.
The 49ers entered this season looking for a championship after falling just short to the Chiefs in a thrilling Super Bowl in 2024.
However, due to injuries at key positions across the field, the 49ers are now 5-7. What NFL.com offers They have only an 8 percent chance of making the postseason.
San Francisco will look to keep its slim hopes alive in the NFC when it hosts the Bears on Sunday.
