Despite injuries marring his 49ers tenure, Jerick McKinnon will receive another opportunity. The Chiefs are signing the veteran running back, Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets.
McKinnon, 28, spent the past three seasons with the 49ers but only played in one of them. Knee injuries sidelined the former Vikings draftee throughout the 2018 and ’19 seasons. However, McKinnon played in all 16 49ers games last season — albeit in a limited role.
He will join a Chiefs backfield headlined by 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The Chiefs signed Le’Veon Bell midway through last season; Bell remains a free agent. The Chiefs also released Damien Williams, their 2019 starter who opted out in 2020. Multiyear Chiefs backups Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson remain under contract, however.
Amid a slew of injuries to strike the 49ers backfield, McKinnon totaled 572 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns in 16 games. He was the only one of San Francisco’s top five halfbacks to play all 16 contests, though the team gave him only 114 touches.
McKinnon totaled 991 yards from scrimmage in his final Vikings season, leading the 49ers to give him top-five (at the time) running back money in March 2018. But knee injuries forced the team to redo McKinnon’s deal last year. The former college quarterback will now move on.