The San Francisco 49ers are less than a week away from deciding their 53-man roster and depth chart.
It’s a pivotal week for the 49ers. Two preseason games against the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers are in the books. Now, one final matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders stands between the 49ers and the inevitable roster cuts.
Few players face a bigger week than this particular San Francisco running back.
Klay Kubiak sounds off on 49ers RB Jordan James 
Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James (29) runs a play from scrimmage during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jordan James will continue to have plenty of eyes on him this week as he made a return to training camp on Monday.
Christian McCaffrey has spent some time on the sidelines, although his absence was reportedly planned, while rookie Kaelon Black has reentered the mix. That leaves plenty of intrigue over who will emerge as McCaffrey’s backup and take on a share of the workload. Assuming the 49ers ensure McCaffrey is managed properly.
James has been sidelined since the first day of training camp through no fault of his own, after an accidental collision with Fred Warner left him with a rib injury.
It was about as difficult a setback as James could have endured entering his sophomore season. Still, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has been encouraged by what he’s seen from the running back since his return.
“Really happy to see Jordan back out there. We’ve loved Jordan. We’ve been excited about him,” Kubiak said to the media.
“It’s just been unfortunate not having him on the field as much, but he looks good. He’s in really good shape. I think seeing other young players get out there and have success makes him hungry.
“He knows, ‘I’ve got to get out there. I’ve got to show what I can do.’ Seeing Kaelon get some of those reps, he’s stepped up. He’s had two really good practices, in my opinion. So, we’re excited about his future.
“I’m going to say the same thing I said about Kaelon, though. He’s got to keep getting better. He’s got to keep going out there and practicing. Stay healthy. This will be a big, important game for him. He’s going to get a lot of reps. I want to see how he looks in the game and just keep going.”
It’s likely James will see some snaps against the Raiders, giving him one final opportunity to make his case before the regular season. There’s no doubt he will be in the 53-man roster, but he might be behind Black.
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