Jerick McKinnon’s tenure with the 49ers got off to a good start. They signed him to be the focal point of their offensive backfield, and he played that role well in training camp and through the preseason. Then a week before the 2018 season was supposed to start, McKinnon tore his ACL. He hurt the same knee prior to the 2019 campaign. Two years in he’d taken zero regular season snaps with the 49ers.
Now McKinnon is as healthy as he’s been since the 2018 offseason and there’s room for a multifaceted playmaker in San Francisco’s backfield following the trade of Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins. Jimmy Garoppolo on Tuesday in a press conference explained why he’s excited to have McKinnon back.
“Jet, being a former quarterback it’s kind of a rarity to have a skill position guy who sees the game like a quarterback still and Jet does a great job of that,” Garroppolo said. “Even just throwing routes on air this offseason, he runs them differently than most running backs and he has a feel that’s like a receiver, but he feels space like a quarterback. It’s very unique and I’m excited to get him back, man. It’s been a while. We came in together, me and him when we both signed here, and it’s exciting to have him back.”
While McKinnon doesn’t have a huge track record of production in the NFL, he offers something a little different for San Francisco’s backfield.
He’s a capable runner and pass catcher, but he separates himself from Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. because he can split out wide and effectively play as an additional receiver. If he and Garoppolo are on the same page, it could be a really nice addition to the 49ers’ passing game.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the NFL’s best at drawing up explosive plays, and having a running back who can function capably in multiple positions makes San Francisco tougher to defend. There’s a reason they went out and got McKinnon before the 2018 season and restructured his deal this offseason to keep him in Santa Clara.
The biggest question with McKinnon will be health though. Garoppolo liking his skill set and hypothetical personnel packages are great, but it ultimately won’t matter if McKinnon’s not on the field.
