Kyle Shanahan, 49ers coach
Last time running back Jeremy McNichols was suiting up for the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan was a rookie head coach, the quarterback position was an amalgam of Brian Hoyer, C.J. Beathard and, when he was not hurt, Jimmy Garoppolo (some things are eternal) and San Francisco went 6-10 on the season.
That was 2017, and McNichols—signed to the practice squad as a rookie after being released by the Buccaneers—suited up for two games without attempting a carry.
Since then, McNichols has compiled an impressive travelogue of NFL rosters and practice squads. His Pro-Football-Reference.com page lists 58 transactions in his career, taking him through seven different organizations. The most recent transaction is the most relevant in this space: McNichols has been signed by the 49ers to add running back depth for a roster that could be missing backup Elijah Mitchell for longer than expected.
He’s already got his spot on the depth chart, too, with a fighting chance as the No. 5 running back.
San Francisco 49ers RB Jeremy McNichols (@JeremyMcNichols) is wearing number 22. #FTTB
McNichols worked out with three other running backs—Brian Hill (another former 49er), Duke Johnson and Jason Huntley—to start this week, and by Tuesday, the 49ers were welcoming him back into the fold. In all, McNichols has made actual game-day appearances for four teams: the 49ers, Jaguars, Colts and Titans.
In Tennessee, he had his biggest impact, playing 30 games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He totaled 360 years on 88 carries in those two years, scoring one touchdown. A good pass-catcher, he also logged 40 receptions for 295 years and a touchdown.
Injury Concerns Loom on Elijah Mitchell
Mitchell is No. 2 on the Niners depth chart behind starter Christian McCaffrey, who is likely to be a workhorse this season. He is out with an adductor strain, an injury that Shanahan originally projected to keep him out a week. But it’s been a week, and Mitchell is still out. The addition of McNichols should be taken as a sign that the Niners either think his injury is worse than expected, or that the team just doesn’t trust Mitchell’s injury history.
No one would blame them for that. Mitchell was injured for all but five games last year, but played well when he was healthy, rushing for 279 yards and two touchdowns. As a rookie in 2021, Mitchell appeared in 11 games and tallied 1,100 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.
Mitchell had four games with 100-plus yards rushing that year, including his career debut (104 yards in a win over Detroit). He had a career-high 137 years in a Week 7 win over the Bears that season.
49ers Offense is Run-Heavy
Mitchell was the leading rusher on the team in 2021, and despite his inability to stay healthy, the 49ers ranked seventh in the NFL in rushing yards. They were No. 7 again in rushing yards last season, when they added McCaffrey and rang up 2,360 yards on the ground. The 49ers have been in the Top 10 in rush yards and attempts in three of the past four seasons.
Shanahan, of course, likes to run the ball. Behind McCaffrey and Mitchell, San Francisco is slated to have Tyrion Davis-Price—a third-round pick out of LSU in 2020—as the No. 3 back, with competition from Jordan Mason.
On the team’s unofficial depth chart, McNichols is listed as the fifth running back, alongside Khalan Laborn.
Davis-Price had 34 attempts and 99 yards in six games last year. A Mitchell injury could open the way for him to get more work this year—and, possibly, for McNichols, too.