San Francisco 49ers: Breaking down the impact of Tevin Coleman’s injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Tevin Coleman has officially been declared out with a high-ankle sprain. How will his injury affect the team going forward?

The San Francisco 49ers may have won their Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the debut of free-agent signing Tevin Coleman didn’t go quite as well.

Coleman’s debut with the 49ers only lasted a half as the former Atlanta Falcons running back left the game in the third quarter after suffering an ankle injury. But prior to his injury, Coleman was having himself a nice day.

The 26-year-old had rushed six times for 23 yards and had also hauled in two catches for an additional 33 yards. Not earth-shattering numbers, but Coleman was establishing himself as a reliable piece in a 49ers offense that was struggling to get much of anything going.

But now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Coleman suffered what is being described as a high-ankle sprain which is the kiss of death for running backs. Ankle sprains typically take a long time to heal and rarely is a player at 100% when they return.

And high-ankle sprains are the worst kind that you could get.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has insisted that Coleman will be evaluated on a weekly basis and that the injured reserve is not a consideration at this time. That’s good news for a 49ers team that has seen poor luck as of late with free-agent running back signings.

Just two offseasons ago, the 49ers inked former Minnesota Vikings standout Jerick McKinnon to a hefty four-year, $30 million contract. However, McKinnon is still yet to suit up in a game for the team after tearing his ACL prior to last season and suffering a setback last month.

In fact, McKinnon may never end up playing a game with the team.

Fortunately, Coleman’s injury troubles aren’t that bad but it’s a disappointing start to his tenure nonetheless. But who is set to step up in his absence?

Expect the next few weeks to heavily feature Matt Breida as the team’s primary running back. Breida excelled when given the chance to start last season finishing with a team-leading 814 rushing yards on a whopping 5.3 yards per carry.

However, if Week 1 is any indicator, expect the 49ers to also utilize special teams ace Raheem Mostert in the offensive gameplan. Mostert also shined in limited action last season before broken leg cut his season short.

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Mostert actually received nine carries in Sunday’s game as compared to Breida’s 15 and the former was much more efficient on his carries averaging 4.4 yards to Breida’s 2.5.

Expect the 49ers to utilize both as the team continues to operate with a running back by committee approach.

But with only two active tailbacks on the roster — no, Kyle Juszczyk does not count — the 49ers will have to make a move to add another running back. And all signs point to that player being practice squad member Jeff Wilson.

Wilson saw some action last season playing in place of injuries and was one of the team’s preseason standouts this year. However, the former undrafted free agent was simply a victim of the number’s game at the position.

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But now with McKinnon done for the year and Coleman out for at least a few weeks, it could be his time to shine once again. He likely won’t receive too many snaps, but he should get some looks with the offense on top of his regular special teams snaps.

Coleman’s absence will undoubtedly be felt, but the 49ers excellent depth at the running back position allows them to move forward with little change in the gameplan.

But they’ll certainly be awaiting his eventual return with open arms.