49ers: Power ranking San Francisco's top 30 players of 2018

San Francisco 49ers: Power ranking the top 30 players of 2018

By Aaron Tan | Jan 4, 2019

GREEN BAY, WI - OCTOBER 15: George Kittle #85, Matt Breida #22 and Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 15, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Running back Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks free of outside linebacker Adarius Taylor #53 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an 11-yard run in the second quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images) /

42. . . . Running Back Matt Breida. 4. team

How Matt Breida lasted until Week 16 is nothing short of a miracle. The second-year running back’s ankle was injured the entire season, but Breida kept on pushing to play every week on the ankle.

When he did, he was incredibly effective, averaging 5.32 yards per carry.

A couple of months ago, I actually advocated for the 49ers to shut down Breida for the season because of how bad the ankle was looking every week, but the guy is a warrior. He looked like a Pro Bowl-caliber running back on a very bad ankle.

Imagine him and Jerick McKinnon sharing the load in 2019. It is going to be a truly special running back tandem.