49ers Sign RB Zamir White as Christian McCaffrey Misses Second Straight Practice
The San Francisco 49ers reinforced their running back room Wednesday, announcing on their official website that they signed running back Zamir White to a one-year deal. The move comes as star back Christian McCaffrey sat out practice for a second straight day.
McCaffrey missed Monday’s session and then Tuesday’s joint practice against the Tennessee Titans with what the team is calling general tightness. According to the Associated Press, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said the absence was about workload management, not a new injury concern. “Christian always kind of has his rep count in any camp,” Kubiak said. “In terms of his rep load, we’re right on track where we want to be. He’s a veteran player, so you got to monitor him and get him ready for the first week.”
That explanation tracks with what head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters, according to NBC Sports Bay Area: the 49ers aren’t worried yet. But the timing stings. Quarterback Brock Purdy ran San Francisco’s first joint practice against Tennessee on Tuesday without his top four running backs. McCaffrey wasn’t the only one missing — rookie Kaelon Black is working through an adductor injury, Jordan James is recovering from a rib fracture, and Isaac Guerendo is also making his way back from injury, per NBC Sports Bay Area. That left Khalil Herbert, Patrick Taylor Jr. and Sincere McCormick as the only healthy scholarship backs on the field for a stretch this week.
Enter White. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the signing on X: “Former Raiders RB Zamir White is signing with the 49ers.”
Former Raiders RB Zamir White is signing with the 49ers.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 12, 2026
White spent all four of his NFL seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders after they took him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia. He appeared in 45 career games, carrying 198 times for 736 yards and two touchdowns, adding 25 catches for 152 yards. His best stretch came in 2023, when he rushed for 451 yards, but he never carved out a full-time role in Las Vegas and was benched during a rough 2024 season. His rookie contract expired after 2025, and he went unsigned for most of the offseason before working out for San Francisco this week alongside fellow free agent Nyheim Miller-Hines.
White wasn’t the only addition. The 49ers also announced one-year deals for cornerback Eli Apple and defensive lineman Xavier Thomas. Apple’s signing is notable mostly for its timing — Yahoo Sports notes the 49ers waived him just ten days earlier, on August 2, before bringing him back into the fold. Thomas, a 2024 fifth-round pick, appeared in 18 games over two seasons with the Cardinals and has 2.5 career sacks.
To make room, San Francisco waived wide receiver Junior Bergen and punter Jack Bouwmeester, and waived/injured defensive lineman K.J. Henry, according to the team’s own announcement. The punter move effectively ends the Bouwmeester competition and hands the job to Corliss Waitman.
Why the 49ers Moved Now
None of this happens without the injury pileup at running back. San Francisco leaned hard on McCaffrey in 2025 — he led the NFL with 413 touches from scrimmage last season, per the Press Democrat, and finished with 1,202 rushing yards and 924 receiving yards. That workload is exactly why the coaching staff restructured this year’s camp schedule to avoid stretches of three straight full practices, and why an off day for a 30-year-old entering his 10th season reads as caution rather than alarm.
Still, McCaffrey’s injury history makes every absence worth watching. He’s dealt with calf issues, bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a PCL injury in recent seasons, limiting him to just four games in 2024. San Francisco isn’t going to say much more until he’s back on the field — but adding a fourth-string body who can absorb reps behind Herbert, Taylor and McCormick buys the staff flexibility while Black, James, Guerendo and McCaffrey all work their way back from various ailments.
| Running Back | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | Out (2 days) | General tightness, workload management |
| Kaelon Black | Out | Adductor injury |
| Jordan James | Out | Rib fracture |
| Isaac Guerendo | Out | Recovering from injury |
| Zamir White | Signed Wednesday | Four years with Raiders, 736 career rush yards |
For White, the opportunity is straightforward: a crowded room got thinner overnight, and a strong showing in joint practices and the preseason opener against the Vikings on Thursday could be the difference between a 53-man roster spot and a trip home. He’s unlikely to threaten for real regular-season touches with McCaffrey healthy, but if San Francisco manages its star back cautiously all September, depth like White’s becomes more than camp filler.
