The offseason signing of free agent running back Tevin Coleman lobbed a grenade into the 49ers’ backfield plans. It looked like Jerick McKinnon, a free agent signee last season, would split time with 2018’s breakout star Matt Breida while Raheem Mostert stayed on as a special teams ace. Dropping Coleman into the mix could’ve dramatically altered the course of San Francisco’s running backs group. General manager John Lynch said Monday at the NFL owner’s meetings that won’t be the case.
Originally it appeared McKinnon would be the odd man out because of his injury and the team’s ability to get out from under his contract for relatively cheap. However, McKinnon’s salary becomes guaranteed on April 1, and Lynch said the 49ers have no plans to part ways with the 26-year-old.
“Jerick is going to be a part of us. We’re excited to see that through,” he said via Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “Jerick is working incredibly hard. It was an unfortunate blow that happened to him but you never like to see that and this year, last year, we were extremely excited that we had him but he’s always had kind of a chip on his shoulder because that was his first opportunity to be the guy and I’m sure he’ll have a bigger chip on his shoulder.”
McKinnon was the 49ers’ prized free agent signing last season after they inked him to a four-year, $30 million deal with $18 million guaranteed. He tore his ACL a week before the start of the regular season and missed the entire campaign.
A smaller running back like McKinnon who’ll be used so much as a receiver could be pretty dramatically hampered after coming off an ACL tear. Coleman plays a very similar role and he could’ve easily been a replacement for McKinnon since he came on a cheap two-year, $8.5 million contract.
Lynch told reporters Coleman’s two years of experience with head coach Kyle Shanahan when he was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, and his low price tag were the reason they added the fourth running back.
The team’s plan for McKinnon in 2019 still isn’t entirely clear. He might be ready for Week 1, but there’s a chance he’s still not at 100 percent capacity by the time the regular season rolls around. San Francisco could decide to keep him on the 53-man and make him inactive on game days until he’s healthy. They might also place him on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the season, at which point they wouldn’t get him back until the middle of the year.
There’s also the scenario where he is ready for Week 1 and he’s a factor on offense right away.
One thing is certain though – the 49ers have a plan for McKinnon, and it involves him being on their roster in 2019.
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