© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers worked out six running backs Monday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The tryout comes after Matt Breida suffered a mid-ankle sprain in the second quarter of San Francisco’s 28-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon.
Shanahan would not disclose the names of all six running backs, but he identified practice squad member Jeff Wilson and former 49er Jeremy McNichols, who was cut from the team at the beginning of last month, as two contestants. When Shanahan was asked whether he plans to sign a running back, he said “possibly.”
“We are trying to see how our guys are, how the health of Breida is,” Shanahan said Monday. “It was better news than anticipated, but it’s still not great news, so we will see about that over the next couple of days. It was good to take a look at some guys today.”
Shanahan was pleased that Breida did not suffer a high ankle sprain, which typically sidelines players for several games. But the 49ers head coach said the injury is a “serious sprain.” Breida will not practice Thursday, San Francisco’s first practice of the week. He is expected to be doubtful for next Monday’s matchup at Green Bay.
Breida entered Sunday as the NFL’s third-leading rusher. In fewer than four full offensive drives Sunday, he rushed eight times for 56 yards. He scored San Francisco’s first touchdown of the day — a five-yard reception off a well-designed play-action into a shovel pass. After the performance, Breida stands as the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher with 369 rushing yards, and his 7.5 yards per carry lead all running backs.
Aside from Breida, the remaining active 49ers running backs are Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert. Starter Jerick McKinnon suffered a torn ACL in the week preceding Week 1. Morris shouldered the rushing load in Sunday’s loss, carrying the ball 18 times for 61 yards. Mostert, who had one carry through the first four games of the season, rushed five times for 11 yards in Week 5. He also fumbled.
Monday’s tryout is similar to what the 49ers conducted two weeks ago, when they worked out seven quarterbacks after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3. They are still looking into quarterback options, though Shanahan has consistently dubbed C.J. Beathard as the starter and Nick Mullens as the backup moving forward.
“We haven’t come to a conclusion yet on the quarterback,” Shanahan said Monday. “We will look into that tomorrow.”
