SF 49ers: 5 most disappointing players from 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers Running Back Jerick McKinnon
2020 was finally going to be the year SF 49ers fans got to see running back Jerick McKinnon make his impact after missing the last two years following his 2018 ACL tear.
Early on, it appeared as if McKinnon was going to be a regular touchdown-scoring option, as he found the end zone in each of the Niners’ first four games, sparking the notion he could be in the discussion for Comeback Player of the Year.
Injuries to fellow running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. later in the season opened up the door for McKinnon to have a more featured role, namely between Weeks 8 through 10, but he managed a mere 84 combined rush yards during that stretch and only had some modest contributions in the pass game, too. Those weeks also marked a frustratingly low period where San Francisco’s ground attack was stagnant, not netting more than 60 rushing yards during those three bouts.
McKinnon was subsequently relegated to a third-tier option on the depth chart behind Mostert and Wilson. And even with Mostert’s season-ending ankle injury suffered in Week 15, it doesn’t appear as if McKinnon will get a lot of looks to round out the remainder of 2020.
Like Trent Taylor, McKinnon is a free agent next year and probably won’t be back after a less-than-impressive season.