NFL Rumors: Matt Breida, 49ers Agree to Contract; Giants FA Spent 3 Years in SF

A familiar face is returning to the San Francisco 49ers.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, free agent running back Matt Breida has agreed to a deal with the 49ers, bringing him back to the team that he spent his first three NFL seasons with.

Breida spent the last two seasons with the New York Giants and had 151 rushing yards and a touchdown last year.

The Athletic's David Lombardi noted that Breida had a tryout with the 49ers, which ultimately ended with him landing a contract.

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

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

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

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