The San Francisco 49ers are strengthening their running back group with the signing of former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. There was some speculation that San Francisco would add a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they are already moving forward with Taylor. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter first reported on the deal on April 3. “The 49ers have signed former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. to a one-year contract, according to sources,” Schefter wrote in X. “After playing against the 49ers in the playoffs, Taylor will now join them. Taylor’s agent @chriscabott of @equitysports confirmed the deal.”
Taylor Jr. is in his fourth NFL season, having spent the past three years in Green Bay. During that time, he was almost always the third option behind Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Taylor will likely play a similar role in San Francisco, but it may be difficult to find him on the roster. Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel will be responsible for most of the touches, while Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason are both solid backup options and are on relatively cheap contracts.
Meanwhile, Mitchell and Mason are both entering the final year of their current contracts. So this could be a move to create a transition from either RB.
Patrick Taylor Jr. Starts NFL Career with Packers
Taylor Jr. entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent after playing college baseball at Memphis. In his junior season with the Tigers, he passed for 1,319 yards from scrimmage and scored 18 total touchdowns, but a foot injury derailed his senior season and draft prospects.
The Packers acquired Taylor after the 2020 NFL Draft, but he was forced to go on injured reserve as he recovered from an injury. He was never called up, only began training for the 2020 season in mid-December, and was not initially included on the 53-man roster for the following 2021 season.
However, Green Bay kept him on the practice squad. According to Pro Football Reference, he played in nine games as a rookie. Eventually, this became Taylor’s routine for the next two years. He has been released and added to the practice squad every year since 2021. However, he was frequently activated and used despite not being a member of the 53-man roster for most of his tenure. Taylor appeared in 34 games and had 65 carries for 261 yards and one touchdown.
49ers Still Trying for Brandon Aiyuk
San Francisco is clearly in the free agent market with a move like this, but they’re also trying to retain Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk spoke about the situation on March 28th. “I’m trying to get what I deserve,” Aiyuk said Thursday on “The Nightcap” podcast. “This season, this season of playing football, I’ve learned a lot about who I am as a person, as a player, what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization.
I feel like I was able to do it. It’s a smart stance, especially considering Aiyuk led the 49ers in receiving yards over the past two seasons. But giving big money to players like Aiyuk is often easier said than done.
