The San Francisco 49ers haven't been healthy at the running back position for much of the season, but now that they are, it's obvious that a clear pecking order has emerged at the position.
At the top of that pecking order is Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, who have gotten the bulk of the carries in recent games. Mostert and Wilson were given 25 of the team's 27 carries in the 23-15 loss to Washington on Sunday, after which 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team has been focusing on those two backs over Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon, who have been the odd men out as of late.
"We've gotten all our backs back and we've been trying to go with Jeff Wilson and Raheem as our one-two," Shanahan said. "That's why Tevin hasn't gotten in much either. Raheem and Jeff have kind of earned that, and they've been our top guys here, especially with Tevin not fully back."
Coleman rushed for 544 yards and six touchdowns for the 49ers in 2019 but has been limited to five games so far this season due to a knee injury, while Mostert and Wilson have missed time due to injuries of their own. McKinnon saw a number of reps while those three players were out, but with everyone healthy, he's now back to waiting for a chance to play.
"Jet carried the load for us while those guys were all out, which took a toll on him," Shanahan said. "But he dresses every week because we'll use him if need be. Still on third down he does some things for us and we won't hesitate to put him in there, but we were going with those other guys today."
Chances are Mostert and Wilson will remain the top two backs for the 49ers the rest of the way, and that Coleman and McKinnon may even be in their final weeks with the 49ers due to being unrestricted free agents after the season. But for now, they'll at least provide valuable depth, which the 49ers have already shown they can't have too much of given all the injuries and COVID-19 issues they've had over the past three months.
