5 former 49ers who could be forced into retirement by free agency

No. 4: Running back Matt Breida (Giants)

Age is also looking at former San Francisco running back Matt Breida squarely in the face, as he just turned 29 years old.

Perhaps there are a few years left in the former undrafted free agent's body, and he hasn't exactly had a ton of wear and tear since leading the 49ers back in 2018 with 814 yards. The following season, Breida fell out of favor with Kyle Shanahan, who opted to feature rushers Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert much more, and that led to the former being a journeymen of sorts, having stints with both the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills before spending the last two seasons with the New York Giants.

Breida rushed for a career-low 2.7 yards in 2023, which certainly points to the G-Men wanting to explore other contingency plans this offseason.

Likewise, considering the shelf life of running backs is short anyway, few teams would opt to sign an aging player who has been little more than a second- or third-string option over the last handful of seasons.

In this case, time might have finally caught up with him.