San Francisco 49ers undrafted rookie running back Corey Kiner suffered an injured ankle and was carted off the field after finishing a 19-yard run against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Kiner plowed through the Raiders’ defense but grabbed his left ankle and knee area after hitting the turf. The 49ers’ medical personnel immediately ran out onto the field. Eric Branch, 49ers beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, updated fans about the situation.
What Happened to Corey Kiner?
Branch posted on X, “49ers undrafted rookie RB Corey Kiner appeared to get left knee twisted on 19-yard run.”
RB Corey Kiner had a nice long 19 yards run then was hip dropped tackled and hurt his ankle and carted off the field. 🙏 please stop the injuries especially to RBs. #49ers #FTTB pic.twitter.com/Y4Sw0kpzrv
— 49er_Edits (@49er_edits) August 16, 2025
Just a couple of minutes after Branch’s report, fellow Chronicle reporter Noah Furtado offered a much bigger, and sadder, update for 49ers fans. Furtado wrote on X, “RB Corey Kiner (ankle) carted off the field. Ruled out for rest of game. Third in-game injury already for the #49ers.”
Besides Kiner, Dominic Puni and Patrick Taylor Jr. were also injured against the Raiders and left the game.
Kiner, who played college football at Cincinnati, stands 5’9″ and weighs 209 pounds. Against the Raiders, Kiner had two carries for 23 yards and one reception for four yards. The 49ers had to play the final four games of the 2024 NFL season without running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee in a Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. McCaffrey didn’t return to play at all. Having a back like Kiner on board might have given 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan some depth at the position.
What Does Kiner’s Injury Mean to Fantasy Players?
With Kiner out against the Raiders, the 49ers will not be offering any updates about his condition until after the NFL preseason game. 49ers fans will be holding their collective breath while waiting for more news.
Meanwhile, fantasy players may want to know more about the undrafted free agent. PFSN’s Jason Katz has some data around Kiner and what his status might mean for those building their fantasy teams right now.
“Obviously, Kiner is miles away from fantasy relevance,” Katz wrote. “He quite literally does not even have an ADP. The relevance of Kiner’s injury has nothing to do with Kiner himself. This is more about the 49ers backfield, in general.
“At age 29, with his track record, and injury history, Christian McCaffrey is obviously not playing in games that don’t count,” Katz wrote. “But still, Kiner should not have even been in this game, certainly not in the first quarter. The issue is the rash of injuries that have overcome this backfield for the second consecutive season.
“Last year, we got fantasy relevant weeks from McCaffrey, Jordan Mason, Guerendo, and Patrick Taylor,” Katz wrote. “This year, the 49ers are already down their RB2, RB3, RB4, and RB5. Ke’Shawn Vaughn entered the game as RB6 and old friend Jeff Wilson, who was signed earlier this week due to all the running back injuries, punched in a short touchdown as the RB7.
Missed Forced Tackles
1. Ashton Jeanty – 125
2. Cam Skattebo – 82
2. Corey Kiner – 82👀
4. Omarion Hampton – 73Elusive Rating PFF
1. Ashton Jeanty – 217.6
2. Corey Kiner – 163.8👀
3. Brayshul Tuten – 143.2Kyle Shanahan does it again with Kiner
pic.twitter.com/ssVE4OgHUq— Captain Locks (@LocksCaptain) August 15, 2025
“As of this exact moment, Vaughn is the RB2 behind CMC,” Katz wrote. “He’s the next guy who is healthy. Of course, no one is drafting Vaughn, nor Wilson, Kiner, or really even James. But Guerendo has been viewed as one of the top handcuffs in fantasy, and rightfully so. We’ve seen Guerendo post RB1 numbers before. We know the starting running back in this offense works for fantasy.
“All of this is to say monitor the health of every back behind McCaffrey,” Katz wrote. “We know CMC is in a perpetual state of walking on eggshells. If he goes down, the next man up will be a hot pickup in fantasy. Make sure you know who that is.”
Having a healthy backfield is something 49ers fans keep looking for all the time. With Kiner’s injury now front and center, what will the team do to keep its running backs healthy? It’s an auspicious start to the NFL preseason for Shanahan and his team.
#Update: Shanahan has confirmed that Kiner suffered a high ankle sprain and will be out for multiple weeks. The 49ers’ head coach also confirmed that Taylor dislocated his shoulder and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks.
