.jpg) Breida in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1995-02-28)February 28, 1995 (age 30) Brandon, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Nature Coast Technical (Brooksville, Florida) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Georgia Southern (2013–2016) | ||||||||||||||
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2017 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||||
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Matthew John Breida (born February 28, 1995) is an American professionalfootballrunning back. He playedcollege football atGeorgia Southern and signed with the 49ers as anundrafted free agent in 2017.[1][2] Breida has also played for theMiami Dolphins,Buffalo Bills, andNew York Giants.
Breida's adoptive parents moved the family fromHudson, Florida, toSpring Hill north ofTampa. There, Breida attendedNature Coast Technical High School in nearbyBrooksville, Florida. He playedhigh school football for the Sharks.[3][4][5]
Breida playedcollege football atGeorgia Southern. As a sophomore in 2014, he rushed for aSun Belt Conference-leading 1,485 yards (second most by a GSU sophomore toAdrian Peterson) and 17touchdowns on 171carries, along with eightreceptions for 97 yards and a touchdown.[6] This included a career-best 210 yards against Navy on November 15.
As a junior in 2015, Breida improved to 1,609 yards (second in the conference toLarry Rose III[7]) and a conference-leading 17 touchdowns on 203 carries.[8]
As a senior in 2016, Breida's statistics declined to 646 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 168 carries, along with 11 receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns.[9] This significant decrease in output was not due to injury, but at least partially due to first-time head coachTyson Summers' unsuccessful move from a triple option offense.[10] Breida's 8.7 and 7.9 yards per carry his sophomore and junior years are the two best in school history, and despite only two productive years, he finished 6th in school history in total rushing yards.[11]
| Georgia Southern Eagles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |||||||
| 2014 | 12 | 171 | 1,485 | 8.7 | 17 | 8 | 97 | 12.1 | 1 | |||||
| 2015 | 13 | 203 | 1,609 | 7.9 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 | |||||
| 2016 | 12 | 168 | 646 | 3.8 | 3 | 11 | 53 | 4.8 | 2 | |||||
| Career | 37 | 542 | 3,740 | 6.9 | 37 | 22 | 156 | 7.1 | 3 | |||||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft9+1⁄4 in (1.76 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.38 s | 1.53 s | 2.50 s | 4.34 s | 6.85 s | 42 in (1.07 m) | 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) | 23 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Due to his disappointing senior year, Breida was not invited to theNFL Combine. However, he performed well at hispro day, running a 4.3840-yard dashrecording a 42-inchvertical jump, 11-Foot-2broad jump and completing 23 reps on thebench press test.[14][10]
Breida signed with theSan Francisco 49ers, one of numerous undrafted free agents, on May 4, 2017.[15]
Breida entered the 2017 season as the backup toCarlos Hyde in the 49ers' backfield.[16] On September 10, 2017, in his NFL debut, Breida had four rushes for 11 yards in the season-opening 23–3 loss to theCarolina Panthers.[17] During a Week 8 33–10 road loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles, he had 17 rushing yards to go along with 39 receiving yards and his first NFL touchdown on a 21-yard reception from quarterbackC. J. Beathard.[18] Two weeks later against theNew York Giants, Breida had nine carries for 55 yards and his first rushing touchdown in the 31–21 victory.[19] During a Week 16 44–33 victory over theJacksonville Jaguars, Breida had 11 carries for a season-high 74 yards and a 30-yard rushing touchdown.[20] In the regular-season finale against theLos Angeles Rams, he had 72 rushing yards and a 32-yard reception during the 34–13 road victory.[21]
Breida finished his rookie season with 105 carries for 465 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 21 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and no starts.[22] This was third on the 6–10 team in yards-from-scrimmage,[16] and 14th among NFL rookies.[23]
Breida entered the season expecting to back up newly signed free agentJerick McKinnon, but McKinnon tore his ACL prior to the start of the season, thrusting Breida to compete for the starting role withAlfred Morris.
Breida began the season as backup to Morris, but out-gained the veteran with 46 yards in the season-opening 24–16 road loss to theMinnesota Vikings.[24] Breida started for the first time in his career in Week 2 against theDetroit Lions,[25] and finished with a career-high 138 rushing yards (which also led the NFL in Week 2[26]) and a touchdown as the 49ers won 30–27.[27] His 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter was second only toColin Kaepernick's 90-yarder in 2014 for the longest run by a 49er since 2009.[28] Frequently hampered by minor injuries,[29][30] Breida split carries with veterans Morris andRaheem Mostert. Though he had 90 yards the following week against theKansas City Chiefs, Breida averaged 11 carries for just 43 yards over the next six games, losing the NFL lead in yards per attempt to the Lions'Kerryon Johnson and theCleveland BrownsNick Chubb in Week 8.[31] Breida rebounded with a 17-carry, 101-yard performance in a Week 10 27–23 loss to the Giants,[25] and in his Week 12 return to the Tampa area, Breida recorded 106 yards on 14 rushes to move back to second in the NFL (behindGreen Bay'sAaron Jones) with 5.8 yards-per-carry, and added 34 receiving yards.[32] During a Week 13 43–16 road loss to theSeattle Seahawks, Breida had three receptions for 51 yards, but only five rushes for six yards before suffering an ankle injury, and missing the next game.[33] He returned two weeks later in the second divisional game against the Seahawks, and recorded 96 yards-from-scrimmage during the 26–23 overtime victory.[34] During a Week 16 14–9 loss to theChicago Bears, Breida had just four carries for 20 yards before again suffering an ankle injury, which placed him oninjured reserve for the rest of the season.[35][36]
Despite numerous health problems, Breida led the injury-plagued 4–12 49ers with 814 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns and was second on the team only to NFL-record-setterGeorge Kittle with 1,075 yards-from-scrimmage.[37] Breida's 5.3 yards per attempt was fourth among qualified NFL rushers.[38]
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With continued complications in McKinnon's recovery, Breida entered the season as a co-starter with free agent acquisitionTevin Coleman.
During a Week 2 41–17 road victory over theCincinnati Bengals, Breida had 12 carries for 121 yards.[39] After a Week 4 bye, he rushed for 114 yards and an 83-yard touchdown on 11 carries in a 31–3 victory against the Browns. Breida also caught three passes for 15 yards and a touchdown. He reached 22.30 mph on the 83-yard touchdown run, the fastest speed reached by a ball carrier on any play since the start of the previous season, making him responsible for two of the top three fastest speeds reached in that span (22.30 mph and 22.09 mph respectively).[40] Late in the season, Breida was used less frequently asRaheem Mostert took over the second-string role.[41]
Breida finished the 2019 season with 123 carries for 623 yards and a touchdown to go along with 19 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.[42] He was fifth in the NFL with 5.1 yards per carry, his third consecutive season in the top 10.[43] Despite not seeing much playing time in the playoffs, Breida and the 49ers reachedSuper Bowl LIV but were defeated by the Chiefs 31–20.[44]
On March 17, 2020, the 49ers placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on Breida. He signed the contract on April 16, 2020.[45]
On April 25, 2020, during the2020 NFL draft, Breida was traded to theMiami Dolphins for a fifth-round pick, which the 49ers used to selectWest Virginia offensive linemanColton McKivitz.[46] Breida was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Dolphins on December 4, 2020,[47] and activated on December 16.[48] He finished the 2020 season with 59 carries for 254 yards to go along with nine receptions for 96 yards in 12 games and one start.[49]
On March 29, 2021, Breida signed a one-year contract with theBuffalo Bills.[50][51] Sparingly used due to the presence of running backsZack Moss andDevin Singletary, Breida scored his first touchdowns with the Bills in Week 10 against theNew York Jets.[52] Playing mainly on special teams with just eight offensive snaps, he finished the 45–17 victory with three carries for 28 yards and a touchdown to go along with three receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown, but also lost a fumble.[53]
Breida finished the 2021 season with 26 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown to go along with seven receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns in nine games and no starts.[54]
On March 21, 2022, Breida signed a one-year contract with theNew York Giants.[55]
Being used as the backup toSaquon Barkley, Breida scored his first and his only touchdown of the regular season during a Week 10 31–18 loss to theDetroit Lions.[56] Receiving an uptick in snaps compared to the previous season, Breida had 54 carries for 220 yards and a touchdown to go along with 20 receptions for 118 yards in 17 games and one start. In the two playoff games he played, Breida had seven carries for 31 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 19-yard reception.[57]
On March 14, 2023, the Giants re-signed Breida to a one-year contract.[58] He played in all 17 games and started in four of them due to Barkley being out with injury and recorded 55 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown to go along with 17 receptions for 88 yards.[59]
On August 5, 2024, Breida signed with theSan Francisco 49ers.[60] He was released by the team on August 26, 2024 prior to the start of the2024 NFL season.[61]
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | SF | 16 | 0 | 105 | 465 | 4.4 | 33T | 2 | 21 | 180 | 8.6 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | SF | 14 | 13 | 153 | 814 | 5.3 | 66T | 3 | 27 | 261 | 9.7 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | SF | 13 | 5 | 123 | 623 | 5.1 | 83T | 1 | 19 | 120 | 6.3 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 | MIA | 12 | 1 | 59 | 254 | 4.3 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 96 | 10.7 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2021 | BUF | 9 | 0 | 26 | 125 | 4.8 | 28 | 1 | 7 | 72 | 10.3 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | NYG | 17 | 1 | 54 | 220 | 4.1 | 18 | 1 | 20 | 118 | 5.9 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | NYG | 17 | 4 | 55 | 151 | 2.8 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 88 | 5.2 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 98 | 24 | 575 | 2.652 | 4.6 | 83T | 9 | 103 | 847 | 7.8 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2019 | SF | 3 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 2.1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | NYG | 2 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 4.4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 5 | 1 | 16 | 50 | 3.1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Breida was adopted by Terri and Mike Breida on March 2, 1995. They later adopted a second child, Josh. The couple were independently disabled by chronic health problems and car accidents in 2006 and 2003, respectively.[62][3] During his time at Georgia Southern, Breida volunteered as a reader and speaker at elementary schools in two states, which contributed to his nomination as a Senior Class Award finalist and Honor Roll member.[63]
