The San Francisco 49ers may need a contingency plan at RB due to Christian McCaffrey’s Achilles issue, and a familiar face may be the answer. The 49ers could be without McCaffrey until late in the season, and New England Patriots RB JaMycal Hasty knows the organization and head coach Kyle Shanahan well.
The proposal was suggested by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Jensen, who also mentions another former Niner as an option.
“At running back, the Niners can look to sign Matt Breida off the street, or possibly deal a 7th to New England for ex-Niners running back JaMycal Hasty. Either one meets Shanahan’s predilection for players with experience in his system,” Jensen wrote on October 1.
Either option would make sense, although Breida has the added benefit of being a free agent. Neither player would necessarily be a game-changer in terms of production, but they would be reliable as depth options.
Either way, the 49ers will likely be keeping their eyes and ears open for possible RB additions. Every injury update for McCaffrey is seemingly worse than the last, and his recovery timeline is unclear.
McCaffrey Has Double Achilles Tendinitis
As if McCaffrey’s initial Achilles injury diagnosis wasn’t bad enough, he apparently has tendinitis in both Achilles. The news was first highlighted by NBC Sports reporter Matt Maiocco, although general manager John Lynch had actually mentioned in the buildup to Week 4.
It’s obviously worse than hoped, but the second Achilles issue is not a new injury. Shanahan spoke on the situation during his September 30 press conference.
“No, during the time he’s had it in both,” Shanahan said. “I think it started in one, you overcompensate, it went to the other. But mainly one of them has just been bothering him, but he’s had it in both.”
Achilles injuries typically require long recoveries and significant procedures, but it’s unclear what McCaffrey needs at the moment. In the meantime, the 49ers have been relying on RB Jordan Mason with great success.
The 25-year-old RB has totaled 447 rushing yards and three touchdowns in four starts, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in the process.
Could Matt Breida Help the 49ers?
Hasty is an attractive option considering he would only cost a low draft pick, but Breida is available to sign at any point. The veteran RB hasn’t played in San Francisco since the 2019 season. He has since spent time with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.
Breida has far more experience than Hasty, and was even starting games for New York in 2023. However, his most recent campaign was a brutal one, as he averaged just 2.7 yards per carry.
That being said, the 49ers’ offensive line is in far better shape than the Giants’ 2023 group. On top of that, it’s not like Breida will be asked to lead the way. Instead, San Francisco can use his veteran experience as a blocker and power back to provide help in other ways.
If signed, Breida would likely join for the veteran minimum, so there are no qualms when it comes to the finances of the deal either.
