It's been a rocky offseason for the San Francisco 49ers offense. Not only has San Francisco been decimated by injuries at wide receiver and running back, but the backups haven't been panning out as head coach Kyle Shanahan would hope.
Because of this, the 49ers re-enlisted the services of a familiar face, Jeff Wilson, after losing another offseason signing, Ameer Abdullah, to season-ending injured reserve during the opening week of preseason action.
Wilson put up 1,733 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in four-plus seasons with San Francisco. He served well as a reliable short-yardage back who could get some hard-earned first downs and touchdowns. His tenure with the Niners ended once he was sent to the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline in 2022 following Shanahan's acquisition of All-Pro Christian McCaffrey.
But after a hot start with a new team, Wilson had two underwhelming seasons where he posted about 150 less rushing yards than his half season with the Dolphins.
And now, he's back, putting a stamp on offseason sentiments that San Francisco's leading rusher from 2020 could return in some capacity if there was ever interest.
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Wilson comes into a position where he can truly stand out. Both second-year back Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James are still injured, leaving McCaffrey, Patrick Taylor Jr. and undrafted rookie Corey Kiner as the lone remaining options in the backfield. Plus, the running backs had a rough first preseason game where they combined for 76 yards on 20 carries (3.8 yards per carry), one touchdown and one lost fumble.
With the current circumstances and an offense Wilson has shown he can thrive in, he has the chance to get back to his previous form.