Marcus Lattimore says he could have played in December
San Francisco 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore heads towards the locker room during organized team activities at the 49ers training complex. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers redshirted two very talented players recovering from significant knee injuries from the 2013 NFL Draft in Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, and both players should be ready to make an impact next year. Lattimore will join a backfield that is a bit crowded, but he’s such a talented player that I think he’ll emerge as a solid foil as a No. 2 back to star workhorse Frank Gore. There are several young, high-upside players on the 49ers primed for bigger roles in 2014, and maybe none of them is more intriguing than Lattimore, whose heart and determination have made for an incredibly inspiring recovery story.
According to CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, Lattimore said that he could have played in December of this season, and that’s good news since it shows that Lattimore is indeed fully recovered and never had the slightest of issues. We’ve heard that much over the past few months, but it’s always nice to hear strong confirmation. Anyway, there was never a chance of Lattimore playing this season, as the 49ers didn’t need him out there. Plus, getting the former college superstar fully healthy was the main goal, and the deep 49ers have shown that their primary goal is to make sure that injured players are 100% before coming back, so obviously a redshirt rookie like Lattimore would have never been pulled into action.
He will most likely be pulled into action next season, and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh sounds ready to see what Lattimore can do. He said, “I believe so, yes. I think this has been an outstanding year for Marcus. Tough at times, but I think great things will happen for him.”
So do I, and I’m sure everyone is rooting hard for him to have a great, healthy career.