Breida and co-starter Tevin Coleman are set to receive huge boosts in the rushing game with the potential returns of left tackle Joe Staley (lower leg), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (knee) and right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) as soon as Monday's game against the Seahawks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
All three key cogs in the 49ers' blocking unit returned to practice Tuesday after lengthy layoffs. McGlinchey's status is still in question, but Staley and Juszczyk claimed that they are both "100 percent" heading into a pivotal matchup against the Seahawks. San Francisco has been making do while its starting tackles and fullback remained sidelined, but some (or all) of their returns will provide a huge boost in producing running lanes for both Breida and Coleman, who have been splitting touches and gashing defenses fairly evenly this season. Breida has performed well in the seven contests since Staley went down to injury, rushing for 487 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and scoring two total touchdowns over that span. That said, there is no doubt that having both All-Pro tackles and a fullback -- a position key to Kyle Shanahan's power-run scheme -- will make life easier for both of San Francisco's running backs for the second half of the campaign.