The San Francisco 49ers will be without one of their running backs for some time. Tevin Coleman was ruled out at halftime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to an ankle injury, finishing the game with six carries for 23 yards and a pair of catches for 33 yards.
Coleman's injury is an ankle sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The running back is having an MRI this morning in Youngstown, Ohio, where the 49ers are practicing this week in preparation for their Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, to determine the severity of the sprain.
#49ers RB Tevin Coleman suffered an ankle sprain in yesterday's win over the #Bucs, source said, an injury that is expected to force him to miss time. He's having tests today (in Youngstown, OH, where the team is staying) to determine the nature of the sprain.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2019
The loss of Coleman for potentially multiple games will thrust Matt Breida back into the starting role with Raheem Mostert sharing some of the carries. The 49ers could also activate Jeff Wilson off the practice squad or bring in some outside help.
"We love Jeff, who's on the practice squad," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the 49ers' 31-17 victory over the Buccaneers. "Jeff's a great player. We'll see what's up with Tevin, and how long he will be out. And then we'll see what else is out there. But we like to have three guys up on game day, and if Tevin can't go, we'll have two, and most likely bring Jeff up."
The 49ers made Coleman a surprise free agent signing in March, bringing him on board with a two-year, $10 million deal.
The Atlanta Falcons made Coleman a third-round selection out of Indiana in 2015. He has 2,363 rushing yards on 534 attempts with 18 rushing touchdowns through his five NFL seasons.