This was no courtesy call, no stopgap signing for roster depth. When the 49ers inked running back Alfred Morris two weeks ago, they were banking on it being for the long haul.
“I wouldn’t invite him unless I believed he had the chance to make the team,” Shanahan said in addressing the deal on Aug. 13. “I do believe he has a chance to make the team here. And that’s all Alf wants.”
On Saturday, Morris needed only two quarters of play to make an ironclad case for a roster spot. He ran as if he’d been here all along, starting and serving as the most reliable offensive threat in a 23-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.