5 players whose 49ers future will be decided over final four games
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers will need to perform well over their final four games of 2019, although these five players need to step up to stick around with the team beyond this season.
There’s a lot on the line for the San Francisco 49ers over the final four games of 2019.
After riding the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first 12 weeks of the season, a crucial 20-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens to pair with wins by both the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints in Week 13, the Niners now find themselves second in the NFC West and dropped down all the way to the No. 5 overall seed in the playoff picture.
Finishing strong as a team is ultimately what’s most important for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad, of course. But for a number of players, these final four weeks could go a long way in determining whether or not Shanahan and general manager John Lynch want to keep them as part of the team’s long-term plans into 2020 and beyond.
San Francisco can benefit from some standout performances from these players, of course. Anything positive will boost the 49ers’ playoff standings.
Beyond this season, though, any strong performance would help ensure these five players wind up staying as a part of Shanahan and Lynch’s plans into the offseason.
No. 5: Running Back Tevin Coleman
The 49ers inked veteran running back Tevin Coleman, a protege of Shanahan’s offense with the Atlanta Falcons, to a two-year free-agent deal last offseason.
For the most part, Coleman helped out well enough, particularly early in the season. But after his four-touchdown performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, Coleman has mostly been held in check.
Ever since, Coleman has averaged a mere 24.4 yards per game with just one touchdown scored.
Reserve running back Raheem Mostert appeared to take over the role from Coleman behind the presumed No. 1 tailback, Matt Breida, during Week 13 against Baltimore. And it’s unlikely the 49ers would want to keep Coleman around next season as a No. 3 running back.
Contractually, it would be easy to move on from Coleman following this season, too. He’s owed zero in guaranteed money in 2020 with $4.9 million generated in cap savings, should San Francisco part ways with him.
Unless Coleman provides a huge spark over the final quarter of the season, it’s likely that’s the route the Niners take.