The 49ers’ backfield in 2019 featured three players that ran for more than 500 yards. Keeping that backfield intact going into the 2020 season seems like an easy call from a team-building standpoint, but San Francisco is going to have some decisions to make regarding their running backs as part of a host of moves that’ll determine how many of their key free agents they’ll be able to re-sign.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers offense rode their terrific run game to the Super Bowl last year, but a quick assessment of their backfield going into the offseason shows that big changes are more likely than the entire group returning.
Raheem Mostert, 27-years old
Mostert in 2019 emerged as an essential piece of the 49ers’ backfield moving into 2020. That probably wasn’t the role the team envisioned for him when they signed him to a three-year deal last offseason, but the special teams ace undoubtedly left the season as the team’s No. 1 option at running back. His ability to contribute in multiple facets will make him a valuable member of the roster going forward. Mostert should see a consistent role in the run game though after averaging 6.0 yards per carry on 171 attempts over the last two seasons.
Tevin Coleman, 26
Beyond Mostert is where things get tricky for the 49ers. Coleman started 11 of the 14 games he played for San Francisco and had a monster divisional playoff game against the Vikings while maintaining a prominent role in the 49ers’ rushing attack throughout an up-and-down 2019 campaign. The 49ers can part ways with Coleman with no dead cap hit and about $4.8 million in salary cap savings. Replacing Coleman, the most experienced player in the backfield, with a cheaper option could save the cash-strapped 49ers a little money, but they’ll have to weigh whether that’s worth the risk of losing a reliable veteran.
Matt Breida, 24
Normally Breida’s return would be an easy call. He’s a restricted free agent who could get re-signed on a relatively cheap deal after averaging 5.1 yards per carry last season and finishing second on the team in rushing yards. His final six games of last season are something of a concern though. He notched just 17 carries in those six games for 46 yards with three fumbles. Breida, with Coleman nursing a dislocated shoulder he suffered in the NFC championship game, pulled out just one carry in that game and didn’t see the field in the Super Bowl. He was productive enough to earn a return to San Francisco, but his last six games are enough to raise some doubt on whether the 49ers will bring him back.
Jerick McKinnon, 27
Making a decision on McKinnon won’t be easy for the 49ers. They brought him in in 2018 on a handsome contract with the expectation he’d be one of the focal points of their offense. A torn ACL before that season, then further complications with that injury ahead of 2019 put him out for a second season in a row. There’s a chance the 49ers part ways with the running back and save themselves $4.55 million. However, they might also want to see what he can do if he’s healthy, and bring him back either outright or on a restructured deal. If the team believes he’s healthy, it’s easy to see them giving him a shot to be the player they wanted when they gave him $18 million guaranteed two offseasons ago.
Jeff Wilson Jr., 24
Wilson is an exclusive rights free agent, which means he’s all but guaranteed to wind up back in San Francisco. They made Wilson active for the Super Bowl which indicates at least a modicum of trust in the former undrafted free agent. He turned into their de facto short-yardage back early in the year when Coleman went down with an ankle injury, but he also turned in a game-winning touchdown catch in Week 11 against the Cardinals. Wilson should be back in a 49ers uniform next season, and may wind up with some kind of regular role in the backfield depending on how the team operates in the offseason. Some of their decisions on running backs may come down to how much they trust Wilson to expand his role.
Looking ahead …
Some of the 49ers’ biggest decisions will come at running back this offseason. If they do wind up letting Breida walk and cutting both McKinnon and Coleman, they’ll be left with just Mostert and Wilson. Chances are if they cut one of McKinnon or Coleman they’d keep the other, but McKinnon is still far from a sure thing after two years nursing a knee injury, and Coleman was wildly inconsistent last season.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner have been tremendous at finding backs late in drafts and in free agency that can produce in Shanahan’s system. However, relying on a rookie or two, or a new veteran to help carry a group that was one of the league’s deepest last season may not be a great strategy for once again boasting a dominant rushing attack.
There’s a world where they opt to keep all of their backs, bring in an undrafted free agent or late-round pick, and let everyone compete for roster spots and playing time. That wouldn’t provide the most financial flexibility, but it would give them the best opportunity to replicate a run game that carried San Francisco to the Super Bowl.
