Breida was released by the 49ers on Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Breida was working to make the most of a reunion with San Francisco, but he'll unfortunately fall short of making their 53-man roster. The veteran running back spent the first three seasons of his career with the franchise, but he's spent time with the Dolphins, Bills and Giants since that point.
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49ers' Matt Breida: Back in San Francisco
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Brieda has agreed to a deal with the 49ers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Breida spent his first three seasons in San Francisco before stints with Miami, Buffalo and the Giants. His most productive years were those he spent with the 49ers, and he will now look for another opportunity to showcase his talents in the Bay Area. Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) was selected by the team in the fourth round of this year's draft and was expected to back up Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell in the backfield, but he is now expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. As a result, Breida will compete with the likes of Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor and Cody Schrader for a depth running back role heading into the season.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Struggles in reserve role
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Breida went without a carry while playing five snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Eagles.
Breida ended the regular season with 55 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown while catching 17 of 21 targets for 88 yards over 17 games. He played second fiddle behind workhorse Saquon Barkley for most of the season, but even when Barkley was sidelined from Weeks 3 through 5 due to injury, Breida couldn't get much going on the ground as the fill-in starting running back. The seventh-year veteran's role decreased as the campaign wound down, and he played only eight offensive snaps without logging any stats over the final two weeks. That drop in opportunity came as New York gave rookie Eric Gray a longer look, perhaps signaling the team's desire to use him more as a ball carrier next season. Meanwhile, Breida is set to hit free agency and is far from a certainty to return to New York in 2024. He has durability going for him, having played all 34 regular-season games for the Giants over the past two season, but after averaging a meager 2.7 yards per carry in 2023, he'll likely be looking at a backup role regardless of where he lands.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Plays five offensive snaps Monday
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Breida caught his only target for three yards in Monday's Week 16 loss to Philadelphia. He did not log any rush attempts.
Breida was almost almost entirely phased out of the Giants' offensive game plan, seeing just five snaps on offense -- his second-smallest count of the campaign. The veteran running back dealt with a hamstring injury during Week 16 prep, but it's unclear if the issue contributed to his diminished opportunities. Saquon Barkley unsurprisingly functioned in a workhorse role Monday, and no other New York player logged a rush attempt aside from quarterbacks Tommy DeVito and Tyrod Taylor. The loss officially eliminated the Giants from playoff contention, so there's a chance the team could elect to lighten Barkley's workload to some extent over the final two games of the campaign. However, even in that scenario rookie Eric Gray would be more likely to see expanded opportunities.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Cleared to play against Philly
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Breida (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Monday's game against the Eagles, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Breida upgraded to full practice participation Friday after a pair of limited sessions. He'll likely continue to fill a reserve role behind Saquon Barkley on Sunday against the stout Eagles front.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Considered limited Friday
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Breida (hamstring) was considered a limited participant on the Giants' estimated injury report Friday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.
Breida was limited at the team's practice session Thursday and remained less than a full participant on Friday's estimated report. He'll look to increase his workload during Saturday's final session ahead of the team's Week 16 matchup with the Eagles on Monday.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Pops up on injury report
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Breida (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Breida saw an increase in snaps compared to his usual workload in a Week 15 loss to the Saints, but it appears the 28-year-old picked up an injury along the way. With the Giants not playing until Monday against the Eagles, the Georgia Southern product will have the benefit of an extra day to recover, which should enhance his chances of suiting up. However, if he were to miss, Eric Gray would likely slide into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Gets two touches in win
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Breida carried twice for 16 yards in Monday's 24-22 win against Green Bay.
New York racked up 209 rushing yards in the contest, with star running back Saquon Barkley tallying 86 and quarterback Tommy DeVito rushing for 71. Wideout Wan'Dale Robinson also gained 36 yards on two carries, while Breida finished fourth on the team with 16 yards on two totes. Both of those carries came in the third quarter, as he followed a seven-yard rush with a nine-yard carry on back-to back plays to help set up an Isaiah Hodgins receiving touchdown. The 16 yards on the ground ranks as Breida's highest mark since Week 5, which speaks to his lack of opportunities whenever Barkley is healthy.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Records three touches in Week 12
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Breida tallied six yards on two rushes and added a 10-yard reception on his only target in Sunday's 10-7 win over New England.
As usual, Saquon Barkley dominated work out of the backfield for the Giants, leaving just a few scraps for Breida. The backup RB did manage his highest yardage total in four weeks, but that was far from enough to make a meaningful fantasy impact. Breida will continue to see a minimal role as long as Barkley is healthy.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Gets just one touch in blowout loss
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Breida rushed once for three yards and didn't receiving any targets in Sunday's Week 10 loss to Dallas.
The Giants fell behind 42-7 after three quarters but continued to ride with Saquon Barkley into the fourth period. Barkley was eventually pulled, but it was Jashaun Corbin rather than Breida who saw mop-up work near the end of the contest. Breida logged just 13 offensive snaps in the loss, while Barkley tallied 35 and Corbin totaled 15. The Giants have been among the league's worst teams this season, so they may decide to lessen Barkley's workload at some point as they push for a high draft pick rather than a playoff spot. Still, it would likely be youngsters like Corbin and Eric Gray (calf, IR) who see more work in that scenario rather than the veteran Breida.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Gets just three touches in loss
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Breida rushed twice for five yards and caught one of two targets for six yards in Sunday's Week 9 loss to the Raiders.
The Giants fell behind 24-0 by halftime and didn't do much better in the second half, but they continued to lean heavily on workhorse running back Saquon Barkley -- who finished with 19 total touches for 113 yards -- even as the game got out of hand. That once again kept Breida to a minimal role that netted very little production. The veteran tailback hasn't gained more than 17 total yards in any contest since Week 5, and he doesn't figure to see significantly more opportunities while Barkley remains healthy.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Minor role despite run-heavy script
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Breida rushed five times for 13 yards and caught his only target for four yards in Sunday's Week 8 overtime loss to the Jets.
With starting QB Tyrod Taylor departing in the second quarter with a rib cage injury, the Giants attempted to grind out a win on the ground, accumulating 52 rushes versus just 14 pass attempts as a team. However, 36 of the carries went to Saquon Barkley, with the remaining 16 spread out between four different players. Breida's five carries were his most since Week 5, but they were still far from enough to result in meaningful fantasy numbers. If neither Taylor nor Daniel Jones (neck) is able to suit up in Week 9 against Las Vegas, New York could opt to again go with a run-heavy game plan, but that doesn't mean Breida will be involved enough to have any sort of fantasy viability.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Posts another quiet performance
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Breida carried the ball three times for four yards and caught his only target for five yards in Sunday's 14-7 Week 7 win over Washington.
Breida had seen an uptick in snaps with Saquon Barkley out with an ankle injury between Week 3 and Week 5, but he followed last Sunday's four-carry effort with just three totes against the Commanders. The veteran back didn't do much with his limited opportunities, as his four yards on the ground were a season-low mark. As long as Barkley is able to play, Breida has very limited fantasy value given the Giants' propensity to use Barkley heavily in both the running and passing game.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Four carries in Barkley's return
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Breida rushed four times for 13 yards and didn't catch his only target in Sunday's loss to Buffalo.
Breida played over half of New York's offensive snaps in each of the previous three games with Saquon Barkley out due to an ankle injury, but his role unsurprisingly shrank with Barkley back in action in Week 6. Breida saw the field for just 18 of the Giants' 77 offensive snaps and didn't make much of an impact with a long gain of six yards. This volume figures to be the norm for the veteran back whenever Barkley is able to suit up, and Breida wasn't very productive even when filling in during Barkley's absence, so there's little appeal to rostering him in fantasy except as an unexciting stash.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Logs 10 touches in loss
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Breida rushed nine times for 21 yards and brought in his only target for three yards in the Giants' 31-16 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
The veteran opened the contest as the No. 1 back for the third consecutive game with Saquon Barkley (ankle) still sidelined, but Breida was ultimately ineffective against one of his former squads and saw rookie Eric Gray outpace him by three carries. Both Breida and Gray figure to slide back into rotational roles with Barkley likely to return in a Week 6 road matchup against the Bills.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Set for lead role again
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Breida is expected to remain the Giants' lead running back for Sunday's game against the Dolphins with Saquon Barkley (ankle) inactive for the contest, ESPN.com reports.
Breida will get a third consecutive start while Barkley misses another game due to a right high-ankle sprain. The 28-year-old has played north of 70 percent of the snaps on offense in both of his first two starts, carrying 18 times for 47 yards and a touchdown while adding eight receptions for 49 yards between those contests. A poor Giants offensive line will be without left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), interior lineman Shane Lemieux (groin) and John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) in Week 5, so while he may once again be in line for a healthy snap and touch count, Breida could struggle to generate yardage efficiently.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Gets 19 touches in Week 4 loss
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Breida rushed 14 times for 30 yards and caught all five of his targets for 48 yards in Monday's 24-3 loss to the Seahawks.
Breida got a second consecutive start with Saquon Barkley (ankle) sidelined. He failed to find much running room behind a shaky offensive line that also allowed 11 sacks, but Breida led the Giants in receiving yards as Daniel Jones was repeatedly forced to check down. Barkley's hoping to return from his high-ankle sprain Week 5 against the Dolphins, but if the star running back sits again, Breida should continue to handle the lion's share of backfield touches.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Expected to fill lead role Monday
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Breida is expected to serve as the Giants' lead back Monday against the Seahawks with Saquon Barkley (ankle) listed as doubtful and likely to miss a second straight game, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
The "lead" role didn't equate to much in terms of opportunity while Barkley was sidelined for the Giants' 30-12 loss to the 49ers in Week 3, as Breida played 41 of the team's 50 snaps on offense (82 percent) yet finished with just four carries for 17 yards and a touchdown and three receptions for one yard on three targets. A negative game script as well as the matchup with one of the league's better defenses were certainly factors in his lack of touches, but even with a more favorable draw Monday versus Seattle, Breida is probably unlikely to match the 19 touches that Barkley averaged in the Giants' first two games of the season. Breida at least profiles as the most interesting fantasy option among a Giants running back group that will also include Gary Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray on Monday.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Week 4 Adds (RB Preview)
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Saquon Barkley is trying to come back, which could completely ruin Breida's Week 4 appeal, but Breida is a high-end flex is Barkley is out and needs to be added just in case. Breida played 86% of the snaps with Daniel Jones including all 11 on third and fourth down. The Seahawks present a much better matchup than San Francisco did.
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Giants' Matt Breida: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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We hope Saquon Barkley (ankle) is back in Week 4 against Seattle, but if he's out again then Breida can be used as a flex option in all leagues. Barkley missed Week 3 at San Francisco, and Breida played 82 percent of the snaps. He didn't do much with them with four carries for 17 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 1 yard on three targets, but this is an easier matchup against the Seahawks. Keep an eye on Barkley's status, and Breida can be used as a flex option in Week 4. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
