The 49ers will have to navigate their first preseason game carefully. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has said the club isn’t likely to play its starters, and some key non-starters that do play could see very limited action in an effort to stay healthy into the regular season.
With running back Elijah Mitchell sidelined by a hip injury, San Francisco on Monday worked out a quartet of veteran running backs according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
It would make sense if the 49ers wound up signing one of the backs since Christian McCaffrey and Mitchell aren’t likely to suit up against the Raiders for the preseason opener. They may want to limit the touches for Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason as well since they could both conceivably wind up with outsized roles in the offense this year.
That would leave a pair of undrafted rookies, Khalan Laborn and Ronald Awatt, to shoulder the load for virtually a full preseason game. That’s why one of these four veterans could be headed to the 49ers soon:
Duke Johnson
Johnson last played a full season in 2019 for the Texans. Since then he’s played in a combined 17 games across three years with the Texans, Dolphins and Bills. For his career he has 2,265 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 532 carries. He’s also hauled in 311 receptions for 2,870 yards and 12 TDs. His best year came in 2017 with the Browns when he posted 1,041 scrimmage yards and seven total TDs – both career highs.
Brian Hill
Hill, 27, has actually played for the 49ers. He saw action in three games for them in 2021 with 46 special teams snaps. That was his last NFL action. Before that he was with Cincinnati for part of the 2017 season, and in Atlanta through the 2020 campaign. He’s posted 982 rushing yards and three rushing TDs on 209-career carries. Hill also has 313 receiving yards and one receiving TD on 38 receptions.
Jeremy McNichols
McNichols is another player who spent some time with the 49ers. Back in 2017 he played in two games for a bad San Francisco team and saw action on 26 special teams snaps. Since then he’s played for the Colts, Jaguars and Titans. McNichols didn’t see NFL game action last season. In his career the 27-year-old has posted 90 carries, 364 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also has 40 catches for 295 yards and one touchdown.
Jason Huntley
Huntley has played in in just six games in his career. Most recently he played for the Eagles in 2021 where he had 13 carries for 51 yards. The year prior with Philadelphia he had five carries for 19 yards in five games. Huntley is the youngest of the group at 25-years old.
