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
San Francisco 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore is one of the hardest working players in the NFL, and his recovery last year from another major knee injury was nothing short of remarkable. After redshirting last year due to the injury, Lattimore is expected to help the 49ers out as a backup RB next year, and there’s a chance he could beat out Kendall Hunter for the No. 2 gig behind workhorse back Frank Gore.
Lattimore said to ESPN NFL Nation’s Bill Williamson, “Whatever role they want me to do, I’m ready. The rehab is over.”
We’ve only heard positive things about Lattimore’s recovery over the past few months, and he should have a full offseason ahead of him to improve. A superstar in college at South Carolina, Lattimore has the upside to be a feature back in this league one day, but he is in the perfect position right now as the No. 2 back in the 49ers organization. Should anything ever happen to Gore, the 49ers can rest easier knowing that they should be able to get things going with a 1-2 punch of Lattimore and Hunter.
It’s incredible to look at how far Lattimore has come ever since his second major knee injury in college, and I have a strong feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what this guy can do. I can’t wait to see how he develops on the 49ers roster, and it will be interesting to see how many carries he can get next season.