For a while there, it looked like the 49ers were sitting on a feel-good story, a welcome type of tale amid the team’s offseason of discontent. Seven years after uncovering undrafted gem running back Matt Breida from Georgia Southern, the 49ers were bringing him back into the fold, joining a crowded running back room behind Christian McCaffrey.
Alas, on Monday, just ahead of NFL cutdown day when rosters must be reduced to 53 players, the 49ers cut short the happy story, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler posting the news that Breida would be let go by the 49ers.
The writing was probably on the wall for Breida after the third and final preseason game this weekend, tie with the Raiders. While Jordan Mason tallied eight carries and rookie Isaac Guerendo had 11, Breida got just two rushes for five yards. In the first two preseason games, Breida had gotten 13 total carries.
In the end, there was no room for him on a roster packed with offensive talent.
49ers Still Making Cuts at Running Back
The 49ers are not done with the running back room from here. McCaffrey is the workhorse, and coming off a season in which he led the NFL with 1,459 yards rushing and racked up 272 carries, that is not going to change.
What might change, though, is the look of the 49ers backup crew. Elijah Mitchell is still listed on the 49ers depth chart as the second-string running back, but he is listed now alongside Mason, who began showing signs of taking the backup job from the oft-injured Mitchell even last season. Mason averaged 5.0 yards per carry on 40 carries last season, where Mitchell averaged 3.7 yards on 75 carries.
There has been talk, too, that the 49ers could seek to trade Mitchell before cuts need to be made.
The 49ers also cut running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn on Monday. With Guerendo almost certainly safe on the 53-man roster, that left the team to figure out whom to cut between Cody Schraeder and Patrick Taylor. It’s entirely possible the 49ers cut both and go with a running back room of McCaffrey, Mitchell, Mason and Guerendo.
Kyle Juszczyk remains the team’s fullback. When it comes to filling out the practice squad, Schraeder and Breida are the best bets, unless they are scooped up elsewhere.
Matt Breida Can Play Special Teams, Could Head to Practice Squad
Breida did play well during his tenure with the 49ers, rushing for 1,902 yards from 2017-2019.
He played all 17 games for the Giants in each of the past two seasons, though he totaled only 220 yards in 2022 and 151 yards last year. Breida has also been an active special teams player throughout his career, especially in New York, where he played 313 snaps on special teams in the past two years.
One thing that has stood out about Breida is a willingness and ability to do multiple things on the field. From the beginning of this time in the NFL, he got attention for his high motor and consistent energy.
As he told the 49ers team website in 2017, he accepts all challenges.
“I’m a guy who is going to get the job done,” he said. “I’m not selfish. I’ll play anywhere on the field – special teams, fullback, wide receiver, etc. I’m a speed runner, but I also like to run physical. I pride myself in 3rd-and-1 situations when the game is on the line, and we’ve got to get the first down. I want the guys to know that they can count on me to make the big plays for them.”
