NFL Rumors: Matt Breida, 49ers agree to contract; Giants player spent 3 years in SF | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats and Rumors

A familiar face returns to the San Francisco 49ers.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, free agent running back Matt Breida has agreed to a deal with the 49ers, returning him to the team with which he spent his first three NFL seasons.

Breida spent the last two seasons with the New York Giants and rushed for 151 yards and one touchdown last year.

Athleticism David Lombardi noted that Breida had a tryout with the 49ers, which ultimately resulted in him getting a contract.

Breida, who went undrafted in 2017 at the Georgia Southern Conference, had some of the best seasons of his seven-year career in San Francisco. He rushed for 465 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman before rushing for a career-high 814 yards and three touchdowns in 2018. In his final year with the 49ers in 2019, he rushed for 623 yards and one touchdown.

The 49ers traded Breida to the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and he spent one season there before joining the Buffalo Bills as a free agent in 2021. He rejoined the Giants on a one-year deal in 2022 and re-signed with New York before the 2023 season.

San Francisco clearly has an RB1 in Christian McCaffrey, but the RB2 spot is somewhat vacant heading into the season. The 49ers return their second- and third-leading rushers in Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason, but both of those combined for less than 500 yards last season, so Breida could step in and get a lot of touches.

Wherever he falls on the depth chart, Breida will look to replicate the success he found early in his career with San Francisco.