Breida (shoulder) is expected to share starting duties with Alfred Morris following Jerick McKinnon's placement on injured reserve, Cam Inman of The Mercury News reports.
The 49ers haven't announced a concrete plan regarding who will take McKinnon's spot as top dog in the backfield. Instead, the team will cater to matchups with the duo of Morris and Breida. The latter was already expected to have a share of carries prior to McKinnon's injury, but the elevated role will certainly increase the back's targets in the passing game. Breida averaged 4.4 yards per carry as a rookie last season, so he is unlikely to be pigeon-holed into a third-down role. For now, we can expect both runners to be involved in Sunday's season opener against Minnesota, with the larger-framed Morris likely seeing goal-line chances and Breida being the preferred option in PPR formats.