49ers Have Found Their New Run Game Identity

Is this the new formula for success?

Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (26) rushes the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the 49ers’ goals this past offseason was to reduce Christian McCaffrey’s workload.

The 49ers called his number 413 times last season. It’s the most of his career, which is an absurd amount. He was the 49ers' workhorse and a major part of their success. 

However, that’s not a sustainable formula. McCaffrey needed help to keep him efficient, which he wasn’t last year, and to preserve his career. That’s what led the 49ers to draft Kaelon Black in the third round.

Usually, the 49ers miss badly when they draft a running back in the third round. They also never use them in their rookie year. But after the Week 1 win against the Rams, the 49ers have found their new run-game identity.

They found the right formula to make their running game work, and it's by running the ball by committee. McCaffrey will no longer hold a monopoly on the carries. That was proven against the Rams.

Black received more handoffs (14) than McCaffrey (10). Sure enough, it garnered impressive results. Black tallied 65 yards for 4.6 yards per carry, while McCaffrey tallied 68 yards for 6.8 yards per carry.

That’s the most yards per carry in a 10-carry-or-more performance from McCaffrey since 2023. Now, maybe the way Kyle Shanahan used these two running backs was a one-time thing.

Maybe he goes back to workhorse McCaffrey. But given what he’s said in the offseason and how successful using McCaffrey and Black was, I doubt McCaffrey will ever be the workhorse again. It makes no sense for McCaffrey to be that again.

This is the right way to keep their running game efficient and to preserve McCaffrey this season. It’s what they should’ve done last season when Brian Robinson Jr. was heating up by midseason.

McCaffrey doesn’t need to be the leading running back anymore. He can cede rushes to keep the quality of his own play high while he sustains heavy work as a receiver, just like against the Rams.

Will he always average 6.8 yards per carry? Unlikely, but he clearly benefits from rushing only around 10 times. He should never exceed 15 carries, especially since he’s more valuable as a receiver. 

Let Black take all the hits early on, while McCaffrey takes over so he isn’t wiped out. A defense having to face two fresh running backs will be annoying. The 49ers will nicely reap the rewards from it.