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49ers' Jerick McKinnon in ‘best shape of life' for 2020, trainer says

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Jerick McKinnon hasn’t gotten much of a chance to showcase his skills during his 49ers tenure. After signing on the first day of free agency with San Francisco in 2018, McKinnon tore his ACL just before the start of the regular season.

Complications from the rehab process also forced the running back to miss the entire 2019 season.

McKinnon has been working out hard recently with teammate Deebo Samuel in Texas, under the guidance of Rischad Whitfield, otherwise known as the “Footwork King.” Whitfield has been more than impressed with the 28-year-old’s dedication and thinks the running back will be coming back with a vengeance in 2020.

"The knee is 100 percent...No. 1, Jet [Jerick] is in the best shape of his life,” Whitfield told Fourth and Nine’s Akash Anavarathan. “I think he's right around 195 pounds and he's already blazing fast. We're talking about a player that can rev his engine up from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds. The versatility that he's going to bring as a dual-threat running back is huge."

McKinnon’s ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield made him a popular man in free agency in 2018, as he caught 51 passes for 421 yards in his last healthy season with the Minnesota Vikings.

McKinnon isn’t the only 49er who’s gotten some work in with Whitfield. Cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon also have joined Whitfield for workouts in recent years.

[RELATED: Raheem Mostert expects Jerick McKinnon to 'surprise everyone']

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San Francisco also has Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman returning in 2020, not to mention Jeff Wilson Jr. and undrafted free agents Salvon Ahmed and JaMychal Hasty in the running back room. It won’t be an easy road for McKinnon to regain some touches in coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but it’s clear that the tailback is doing what he can to earn his spot.

[49ERS INSIDER PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]

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