SANTA CLARA — Patrick Taylor Jr. concedes there are times when he wondered if this day would ever come.
“Certain times it crosses your mind,” Taylor said. “But you have to stay consistent and disciplined to your process.”
Taylor is next man up in the running back room, with rookie Isaac Guerendo ruled out Friday before the 49ers embarked on a trip to Miami to face the Dolphins in a battle of 6-8 teams.
Also ruled out was left tackle Trent Williams (ankle). Listed as questionable were edge rusher Nick Bosa (hip/oblique), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) and edge rusher Robert Beal Jr. (ankle).
In his fourth season and first with the 49ers, Taylor, 26, has played in 44 games. Counting fullback Kyle Juszczyk who opened a game in a single back set, Taylor is the fourth starting running back for the 49ers this season including Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo.
In three seasons with Green Bay, Taylor played in 34 games with no start and has stuck in the NFL largely through his work on special teams. He has 14 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown for the 49ers. For his career, Taylor has 79 carries for 311 yards and two touchdowns.
The most Taylor has ever carried the ball in a game was 11 times for 53 yards for Green Bay against the Detroit Lions in 2022.
It isn’t new territory for Shanahan, who has had 15 different running backs start games in the regular season or playoffs since joining the 49ers in 2017.
The first was Carlos Hyde, who was followed by Matt Breida, Alfred Morris, Jeff Wilson, Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon, Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon, Deebo Samuel, McCaffrey, Mason, Guerendo and Juszczyk.
Potentially available to back up Taylor are Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda, with the possibility that Samuel could get snaps as a running back as well.
“He’s been here since training camp, he’s done a real good job for us, played in this league before with Green Bay and when he’s gotten opportunities with us he’s run the ball well,” Shanahan said of Taylor. “When he hasn’t run the ball, he’s helped on special teams. A big opportunity for him and I’m glad we got him.”
In college at Memphis, Taylor gained 2,884 yards on 536 career carries with 36 touchdowns. He battled through a Lisfranc foot injury that led to him being undrafted.
Taylor attributes the 49ers’ ability to plug and play running backs effectively in part to the instruction of position coach Bobby Turner.
“He does a great job making sure we’re prepared going into a game and he has a lot of confidence in us to play well,” Taylor said. “When we get out there, it’s just playing freely and not hesitating.”
BROCK’S CHIP
The revelation by quarterback Brock Purdy that he needs to get back to playing with a chip on his shoulder came as news to Shanahan.
“He has a big a chip on his shoulder as any player I’ve been around,” Shanahan said. “He was probably trying to answer a question and coming up with something to say to you guys.”
THE EMBREE INFLUENCE
Tight end George Kittle remains indebted to Jon Embree, who coached tight ends for the 49ers from 2017 through 2021 and was his coach as a rookie fifth-round draft pick out of Iowa.
In fact, Kittle said he still gets pointers from Embree, who is now Miami’s tight ends coach and assistant head coach under former 49ers’ assistant Mike McDaniel.
“I think coach Embree did a great job showing me the ropes, kind of throwing me a life vest, because I was a rookie,” Kittle said. “I’ll get a random coaching point from him at 5 a.m. our time, 8 a.m. Miami time that says, `Your footwork was trash last week. You’ve got to fix your stance’ and I always appreciate those coaching points.”
JUICE LEADS FULLBACKS
Juszczyk is the only 49ers player to lead fan balloting for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games.
An eight-time Pro Bowler with the Baltimore Ravens and 49ers, Jusczyk is ahead of Kansas City fullback Carson Steele.
Kittle is second among tight ends to Raiders’ rookie Brock Bowers (and first in the NFC), while edge rusher Nick Bosa and tackle Trent Williams are sixth in their respective positions. Linebacker Fred Warner is No. 7 among inside linebackers. Quarterback Brock Purdy is not in the top 10.
The Pro Bowl teams are selected through voting by the fans, players and coaches. No 49ers player ranks in the Top 10. There were nine 49ers who ended up Pro Bowlers last year — Bosa, Juszczyk, Williams, Kittle, McCaffrey, Warner, quarterback Brock Purdy, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, Warner and cornerback Charvarius Ward.