49ers Officially Sign RB Matt Breida

Running back Matt Breida makes his return to the 49ers after four years.

Dec 8, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida (22) runs against the New Orleans Saints in the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers won, 48-46. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

He's back.

Former undrafted free agent running back Matt Breida is coming back to the San Francisco 49ers after four years. Breida is signing a one-year deal to return to the team he started his career with back in 2017. As a result of Breida's signing, the 49ers have placed receiver Malik Turner on the Injured Reserve List.

The 49ers are in need of running backs. Injuries have been a common theme for the position. First it was rookie Isaac Guerendo who is expected to miss a great deal of training camp. Second was Elijah Mitchell who tweaked his hamstring, but didn't pull it. He's expected to miss a bit of time.

Lastly is star player Christian McCaffrey who is nursing a calf strain. He's expected to miss the next couple of weeks and is ruled out of the preseason for the 49ers. The 49ers needed another player as they cannot hold practice with just Jordan Mason and Cody Schrader alone.

Breida comes in to address that need as a camp body, but I wouldn't fully rule him out of making the team for final roster cuts. He's a veteran player who should instantly fit into the offense. I'd suspect Guerendo starts the season on Injured Reserve to give the 49ers an open spot.

That means he will have to beat out Schrader, which won't be easy. The practice squad is always an option for him as well. Breida was most recently with the New York Giants in 2023 where totaled 55 rushes for 151 yards and one touchdown and added 17 receptions for 88 yards.

During his three years with the 49ers, Breida had 381 carries for 1,902 yards and six touchdowns and added 67 catches for 561 yards and four touchdowns.