4 former 49ers players San Francisco should bring back in 2022

Former 49ers player No. 1: Running back Matt Breida

The 49ers unceremoniously let go of running back Matt Breida after he fell out of favor in 2019, and it seemed like a decent move at the time heading into 2020. After all, the Niners had Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon on the roster.

Coleman and McKinnon are long gone now, though, and Mostert is poised to hit free agency, too. After he missed all but one game with a knee injury, plus the fact he’ll turn 30 years old this offseason, one might assume San Francisco won’t bring Mostert back.

Additionally, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is a free agent.

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That’d leave only three tailbacks on the roster: Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon and JaMycal Hasty, the latter three’s roles in 2022 far from being defined.

Breida, who led the 49ers with 814 rush yards in 2018 and averaged 5.3 yards per carry, has Mostert-like speed yet disappeared from action with both the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills after being let go by the Niners.

At 27 years old, Breida could at least provide a speedy spark on the depth chart and would be familiar with Kyle Shanahan’s offense, adding some stability and insurance to a position that has plenty of question marks behind Mitchell.