There’s no such thing as too many running backs. just ask San Francisco 49ers.

Jordan Mason, who replaced the injured Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, aggravated his shoulder sprain against the Dallas Cowboys. He was unable to continue playing like he did when he was first injured against the Seattle Seahawks.

Fortunately, the 49ers have another running back in rookie Isaac Guerendo. He would replace Mason, and he would do it tremendously. Guerendo had 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. His biggest run was an average of 6.1 yards per carry with a 19-yard gain.

Mason has been the 49ers’ star this year, but keeping Guerendo off the field is becoming increasingly difficult. It’s unclear if Mason will have to miss Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Whether so or not, there is a clear path for how the 49ers should utilize their running backs moving forward.

They need to use Mason and Guerendo via committee. Mason’s aggravation of his shoulder injury is an indication that his body may be deteriorating. He wasn’t used to this workload, nor was he prepared for it heading into the season. It may also start to slow down as it wears out.

The best way to keep him healthy and fresh is to rotate Guerendo. That way the 49ers can preserve their formidable one-two punch. Guerendo can’t continue running back in an emergency. It’s not like Kyle Shanahan is a stranger to returning runs. He did this in 2019 with Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert.

Working by committee is what the 49ers should use. They should act this way even if Christian McCaffrey returns. The important thing is to keep these guys healthy and fresh. When it comes to the play-offs or when they face a must-win game at the end of the season, absolutely demolish them as they have done before.

But until that time comes, they should keep these players rotating.