After last week's win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was surprised to see rookie running back Kaelon Black finish with more carries than veteran starter Christian McCaffrey.
"But love taking some off Christian, and love the fact that Kaelon was prepared for everything, the run game and the pass game, and allowed us to be able to do that," Shanahan said.
McCaffrey acknowledged that Black's emergence will likely benefit the 49ers in the long run by helping keep him fresh throughout the 17-game season.
49ers general manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday morning. He discussed Black, who has quickly established himself as a playmaker in his first NFL season, and the team's plan to rotate its running backs in 2026.
"I think, yes, we wanted to do that, but you have to have the faith and the comfort, and it has to be earned," Lynch said. "So, Kaelon, I think, through the way he performed in training camp, him being on his assignments, his ability to pass [protect]. Bobby Turner, our running backs coach, you're not just getting on the field. And Kaelon earned that, as has Jordan James, for that matter. And Jordan, you know, just didn't get the opportunities in that game."
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 413 touches. His 932 offensive snaps were his most since 2019. Still, the All-Pro running back remains a versatile offensive weapon and wants to be on the field with his teammates as much as possible.
"So when you have options to split the carries, it's hard to take Christian off the field," Lynch said. "Christian doesn't like coming off the field, but I think there's a vision for how we want to do this, and you want to keep people healthy in a game, you want to keep people fresh for a season, and so, I promise you, there's going to be games where Christian's right back to having the amount of touches he had last year.
"But it's just the flow of the game, the way it went. Kaelon had a hot hand there. Christian ran it—when he had his opportunities—extremely well. The name of the game is to win, and running the football was a big part of that win, and we did it very well."
Lynch also credited the 49ers' offensive line for its run blocking, which helped keep a stout Rams defense at bay and let San Francisco's running backs—and its quarterback—perform at a high level.
"Our offensive line was tremendous in that game, and they opened up those holes, and they allowed [QB] Brock [Purdy] to have some time," Lynch added. "And when you allow Brock that, Brock's going to play really well. That's what he does. And I thought he was outstanding as well."
More info on: Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy
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