The 49ers backfield could include a new, familiar face Monday night against the Rams. With injuries hitting the roster hard, San Francisco will likely dip into its practice squad to fill out their active players on game day. One player who could come up Monday night is former 49ers running back Tevin Coleman.
While it’s typically unlikely a practice squad player steps in and has a sizable role, Coleman is a unique case given his relative familiarity with the offense compared to Marlon Mack and Jordan Mason.
Coleman was in Kyle Shanahan’s offense for two years in Atlanta and two more years in San Francisco. A significant factor in playing time for RBs for Shanahan is how they impact games without the ball in their hands. If Mack is still getting up to speed and Mason is still struggling to take care of the nuances of the offense, Shanahan could certainly turn to a RB he trusted to start 11 of his 14 games in 2019.
Playing time for RBs alongside Jeff Wilson Jr. has been hard to come by, and the 49ers need to shake up their run game. That could mean taking some of the onus off Wilson, and if Coleman is up, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Shanahan turn to him as the offense tries to get itself back on track.
