Why the 49ers Don't Rotate Their Running Backs

Head coach Kyle Shanahan explains why the 49ers don't rotate their running backs to give Christian McCaffrey a breather.

Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) rushes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Rotating the running backs is one way the San Francisco 49ers can improve their offense.

Christian McCaffrey has struggled to be efficient since he returned from dealing with Achilles tendinitis. It could be rust and game shape isn't there yet for him, so it makes sense to give Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo a few of his carries.

Mason has looked incredible for the several carries he's received when he's had to sub for McCaffrey. The 49ers aren't new to running by committee. They did that in 2019 with Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert, and Tevin Coleman. Doing it this year sounds like a great plan to try.

However, it isn't something that Kyle Shanahan views enticing to try.

I just think, even when Mason was going a ton, we didn't get Isaac a lot. So I mean, we're not just a big three-man-rotation team, especially when you have a solidified starter," said Shanahan. "We're not trying to get Christian off the field more. We want to keep him fresh and keep him at his best, but Christian's also a guy who gets better as he goes.

"He's a guy who feels a lot more comfortable being out there. I also don't think the way these games have gone, we didn't run the ball much last week at all in general. So not many people, we didn't, I think we got 14 runs. So when that's the case, you're not going on long drives, you only have 13 plays or 14 plays in the whole first half with one of them being close to a two-minute drive, the other's being four-and-out. It's just not going to work out that way.”

Running McCaffrey heavily last season made a lot of sense for the 49ers. He was a monster everytime he touched the football. But this year is different. He's coming off of Achilles tendinitis in both of his legs while his backups have proven to be excellent.

Why not give Mason a few more carries and let McCaffrey operate more as a receiver? The issue with the 49ers' offense was never running the football. McCaffrey benefits them more as a receiver than a running back because that is what they need. Someone who can separate and create yards after the catch.

Unfortunately, Shanahan believes McCaffrey and only McCaffrey is the way to go running the ball. The only way Mason gets a carry is when he gets gassed on a long drive or after a long run. Don't expect any change with this offense given Shanahan's infatuation.