The San Francisco 49ers envisioned Tevin Coleman having a significant role when they signed him to a two-year contract this offseason, but that may have to wait a while after the running back suffered an injury in the season opener.
Coleman left Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a sprained ankle that is expected to force him to miss some time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
#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
If Coleman has a high-ankle sprain, he could miss a month or more. That would leave starting running back duties to Matt Breida, who rushed for just 37 yards on 15 attempts in Sunday’s game.
Coleman spent his first four seasons with the Falcons and has a connection to Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan from when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta. The 26-year-old has averaged 4.4 yards per carry throughout his career.
