Trey Sermon's first game as a 49er went about as poorly as it possibly could. Not only did his only Week 2 carry result in a fumble, but Sermon was forced to leave the game with a concussion. Nevertheless, Sermon put together a much better performance in Week 3, racking up 10 carries for 31 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.
49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel spoke to the media on Thursday and explained how Sermon has impressed the coaching staff since starting out on the wrong foot.
"There were definitely things that he improved on, as the game wore on," McDaniel said (h/t 49ers Web Zone). "There was also things that he'd been short-changed in terms of he hasn't played tackle football that much, when you really think about it. He had the COVID year and then going into this season, we had padded practices, but we're not going to the ground. And then, preseason, he got dinged. He did get better, and there were also things in his play that we looked at, and we're like, 'Hey, here's another thing that you can improve on.
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"What I will say is, probably as much, if not more than any player on the team this week, you can tell that he learned from the experience. He had as deliberate of a week practicing as anybody. I think a lot of players on our team are very confident in him moving forward. I know he is confident and excited for the opportunity and just excited to continue to progress."
Sermon wasn't active in Week 1 for the 49ers, as Elijah Mitchell led the offense with 104 rushing yards after starter Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending injury.
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Health has decimated the running back room for the 49ers, as JaMycal Hasty remains sidelined with an ankle injury and Mitchell suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of Week 3.
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Mitchell is questionable for Week 4, while Trenton Cannon and Kerryon Johnson both will be behind Sermon on the depth chart against the Seattle Seahawks.
Sermon clearly has the support of his offensive coordinator and could be primed for a big week, especially if Mitchell ends up not being able to go Sunday.