49ers Cycle Back to McCormick, Signaling Depth Churn at Running Back

The 49ers signed running back Sincere McCormick and waived Jordan Mims on Wednesday, marking another rotation in a backfield that has lacked clarity since the team's last playoff run. McCormick's return marks his third stint with San Francisco—he spent time on the practice squad last season and joined the offseason roster earlier this year—signaling that the organization views him as a known quantity in a pinch, even if he hasn't earned a permanent roster spot.

McCormick entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with Las Vegas in 2022, carrying 39 times for 183 yards across five games over three seasons with the Raiders. His journey since has been a league-wide audition: brief looks with Arizona, Denver, and Minnesota, none of which saw enough to retain him. The 49ers themselves have recycled him twice before this latest reunion, suggesting he offers something—scheme familiarity, practice-squad development, familiarity with coaches—that outweighs the marginal investment of a roster spot.

Mims, who cycled through Buffalo, New Orleans, and Tennessee before joining San Francisco, becomes the casualty of the reshuffle. The move underscores a team that still hasn't solved the backup-running-back puzzle behind Mitchell. In playoff-contention windows, depth at running back matters: it affects snap distribution, rest cycles, and late-game injury scenarios. A backfield defined by constant minor reshuffles signals either that the front office is still evaluating options or that available talent at the position doesn't merit long-term commitment.

From a betting lens, this churn matters primarily for Mitchell's workload and touchdown-scoring opportunity. If the 49ers genuinely view their RB2 situation as unsettled—swapping in practice-squad returnees rather than committing to a proven backup—it suggests Mitchell is likely to see elevated snap counts during the regular season. The more McCormick and future acquisitions at the position fail to establish themselves, the fewer touches get distributed, and the more concentrated production flows to Mitchell's carry and receiving targets. Neither McCormick nor Mims projects as a volume threat; they're depth relievers at best. That structural reality strengthens the case for overweighting Mitchell's individual rushing and receiving prop lines once the season begins, as the team will rely on him more heavily than a typical RB1 might see in a healthier backfield depth chart.