Matt Breida on trade from 49ers: ‘At first I was kind of shocked’

Former 49ers running back Matt Breida, now with the Dolphins, joined Good Morning Football to talk about the trade sending him to Miami.

The San Francisco 49ers sure received plenty of contributions from now-Miami Dolphins running back Matt Breida ever since he was selected as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern back in 2017.

Breida highly impressed in rookie minicamp that year, eventually going on to become the team’s leading rusher in 2018 and twice named the NFL’s fastest player that season and in 2019.

Yet Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan cut down on Breida’s use late last season, ultimately leading to the speculation the team would move on from the 25 year old entering this offseason.

And despite using a second-round restricted free-agent tender on Breida, San Francisco ultimately sent him packing to the Dolphins in the middle of the NFL Draft in exchange for a fifth-round pick, which was eventually used on West Virginia offensive lineman Colton McKivitz.

Breida joined NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Thursday morning to break down his initial reaction to the trade.

“I got a phone call from my agent saying there were trade talks with me and the Dolphins,” Breida said. “It ended up happening, and at first I was kind of shocked.”

San Francisco already had a crowded backfield on its run up to Super Bowl LIV, which included fellow rushers Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert, the latter essentially assuming Breida’s role in the offense and becoming a key staple in Shanahan’s ground game. And with running back Jerick McKinnon returning from a two-year stint on injured reserve after a 2018 ACL tear, Breida’s spot was even more precarious.

So, at least in a way, the 49ers did Breida a solid by giving him a chance at a bigger role. And Breida seems to relish that, too.

“I’m always up for challenges, so I was excited to get down to South Beach.”

During his three-year Niners tenure, Breida appeared in 43 games, started 18 of them, rushed for a total of 1,902 yards averaging 5.0 yards per carry, while adding a combined 10 touchdowns on the ground and through the air.

Fittingly enough, the Dolphins will travel to Santa Clara, California to take on the 49ers in Week 5 this upcoming season.

Breida is looking forward to that matchup, too.

“Over the past three years, we did a lot of trash-talking in practice… I just can’t wait to get on the field and play against them. It’ll be fun to compete against those guys.”

San Francisco fans will be looking forward to seeing Breida back in the Bay Area, too.