Concerns surrounding 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black, who was labeled limited in Thursday’s practice due to a groin injury, can be put aside. Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with Adam Copeland and Derek Papa on KNBR in San Francisco, expressing he’s not worried about Black’s availability for their Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins.
“No, I think we’re just being smart with him,” Shanahan stated. “It was a little tight today, so we didn’t want to push him too hard.”
The worry about Black’s injury arose after he took most of the running back snaps in the team’s impressive 27-7 win against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia. Shanahan admitted he was surprised by how much workload Black received over Christian McCaffrey, who had 10 carries for 68 yards.
“That’s just kind of how the game went,” Shanahan remarked. “It probably has to do with starting out the game with three runs in the first 17 plays.”
In his NFL debut, Black was noteworthy, rushing for 65 yards on 14 carries and securing three first downs. “I love taking some off Christian,” Shanahan added. “Love that Kaelon was prepared for everything. The run game and the pass game allowed us to do that.”
Another factor for Black’s larger share of the workload might have been the 49ers’ solid 24-7 lead in the last 13 minutes of the game. With the advantage late in the match, it’s possible that this will be a familiar strategy for the 49ers moving forward. McCaffrey, now in his tenth NFL season at 30, has a history of injuries, including an Achilles injury two years ago and had previously missed time in training camp due to calf tightness.
At 24 years old and weighing 208 pounds, Black is recognized as a physical, downhill running back. He was selected in the third round of the NFL draft out of Indiana this past spring. Last year, during the Hoosiers’ championship season, he was their top running back, appearing in all 16 games and accumulating 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries.
