The Tevin Coleman Resurgence: What His Role Could Be for the 49ers Going Forward

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Running back Tevin Coleman is scoring touchdowns for the San Francisco 49ers.

The 29-year-old veteran tailback is back in The Bay after spending the last year and a half with the New York Jets. Coleman was released by the team prior to the start of the regular season, landing on the 49ers practice squad at the end of September due to the injury to rookie RB Ty Davis-Price in Week 2.

A familiar face with the coaching staff, he was activated for his first game of the season in Week 5, and he did not disappoint.

Working in tandem with current starter Jeff Wilson Jr., Coleman totaled 11 touches for 67 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against the Panthers. With his first scores since the 2019 season, the veteran proved to the naysayers that he’s still an NFL-caliber running back in 2022.

WHAT A PLAY BY JIMMY GAROPPOLO AND TEVIN COLEMAN 😱pic.twitter.com/5q1hMOvIYL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 9, 2022

“You definitely have a little bit of doubt, you know what I’m saying. Just not getting a lot of carries and a lot of touches and just coming from where I came from with the Jets. But you know, I showed that I still have it and it was definitely fun out there to play with this team,” a Coleman said postgame Sunday.

A mainstay on the Red & Gold’s roster for two years, Coleman took his talents to the Big Apple in 2021, signing a one-year deal with the Jets. He returned to the team after finishing second in rushing yards the previous season. But with the return of RB prospect Michael Carter, and the addition of rookie Breece Hall, Coleman was released in August due to a lack of forthcoming game-time.

A month later, the 49ers called him up, jumping at the chance to join his former team.

“Oh, yeah, it was good. I was with the Jets this summer. And everything was good. But you know, they released me so I was just really surprised and happy to come back here and see the familiar faces and the vibe that was here. It was amazing. Everybody loves me coming back. So it was just a great feel for me,” Coleman said.

And the feeling is mutual, the coaching staff has raved about his return to the team even before Week 5. The trust and familiarity in the running back room has set Coleman apart from the rookies, always reliable for Shanahan and the offense.

“I’ve been impressed, it’s kind of what we expect him to do. Very similar, they go in and they just play, you don’t know when you’re going to get your opportunity. You don’t know when you’re going to get a good run. It’s not like we call a screen for whoever, whatever back is in, and he happened to get that and he finishes and scores. So, to get in there twice and just to play hard was what we expected. I didn’t totally expect that jump ball on their nickel back, that was an unbelievable play by him. But I thought we were really fortunate to get Tevin back here when we did,” Shanahan said Monday.

The 49ers were so impressed that they added the 29-year-old to the 53-man roster, cutting fellow RB Marlon Mack in the process. Mack was added back to their practice squad Wednesday.

Exactly this officially happened: The 49ers swapped roles for Tevin Coleman (to 53 from PS) and Marlon Mack (to PS from 53).

It's a difference between about $60,000 and $20,000 per game (53-man obviously pays more and Coleman has been contributing while Mack hasn't been) https://t.co/XxWgL1rAeI

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 12, 2022

So where does Coleman fit in going forward?

His first year with the 49ers in 2019 was his most productive year, rocking a timeshare trio alongside Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida. Coleman and Mostert lead the way with 137 rushing attempts each, while Breida finished with 123 carries that season. Both RBs finished with more rushing yards than Coleman in 2019.

If Week 5 is any indication, he’ll be in a timeshare again, this time with Wilson for at least Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons. It’ll be interesting to see how the offense adapts to having rookie Ty Davis-Price (ankle) back in the lineup, practicing for the first time Wednesday since suffering the injury in the home opener. It’ll be even more confusing when true starter Elijah Mitchell comes back from his MCL Sprain.

But for now, expect the two healthy backs to be in a committee, JWJ handling the inside work while Coleman handles the outside runs and pass-catching plays.

It's wild to think Tevin Coleman could rejuvenate the 49ers outside running game if he continues to run like this

Jeff Wilson is so good in-between the tackles but Coleman has an ability to stretch horizontally and get vertical in a hurry on outside runs pic.twitter.com/j4KFuiZvg6

— Brad (@Graham_SFN) October 11, 2022

“Yeah, Tev’s awesome,” run game coordinator Chris Forester said Thursday. “We just talked about his explosiveness on the field and when these guys were going to get their opportunities and Tev went out there and really did a great job and it’s just so nice for him. To get two touchdowns, it’s awesome for a guy that was on the practice squad and was not working anywhere and now he’s here and scores twice for us. It’s really cool.”

Who knows if he’ll be on the roster by the end of the year, but the 49ers are grateful to have an old friend in the backfield once again.

To listen to the full postgame presser with Tevin Coleman, click here.

Follow @AmilianoFragoso

Newsletter