Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel says he intends to rotate running backs Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kimani Vidal based on opponent and in-game production rather than preset workloads, drawing on a backfield management philosophy he developed during five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 through 2021.
McDaniel plans fluid Chargers backfield rotation modeled on 49ers approach
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel says he intends to rotate running backs Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kimani Vidal based on opponent and in-game production rather than preset workloads, drawing on a backfield management philosophy he developed during five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 through 2021.
McDaniel made the comments during an appearance on 'NFL Daily' with Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue, describing his approach as solution-oriented rather than innovation-driven. 'I think the most important thing—the thing that I don't think about—is inventing stuff,' he said. 'If you stay true to your core of what your job is, and for me, I see it as creating advantageous situations for all these players, then you're kind of solution-oriented, reverse-engineering issues.'
On the Chargers' three-back group, McDaniel said: 'You kind of play the hot hand once you're into games. Specifically, I'll use all three of those guys probably every game. The relative ratio? That will be based on opponent and what we're asking the guys to do.'
McDaniel served in San Francisco alongside head coach Kyle Shanahan, progressing from run-game specialist to run-game coordinator to offensive coordinator. During that period, the 49ers did not rely on a single permanent lead back, with injuries and performance both influencing rotation decisions.
The 2019 season offered a prominent example of the approach. The 49ers began the year with Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida leading the backfield before Raheem Mostert assumed a larger role following a game against Baltimore in which he carried 19 times for 146 yards and a touchdown. Shanahan said at the time that the team had 'just stuck with the hot hand,' and one week later said Mostert had 'given us no choice' but to expand his role. Mostert finished that regular season with a team-leading 772 rushing yards and added 220 yards and four touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game.
The rotation remained variable throughout. Coleman rushed 22 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns against Minnesota in the divisional round of those playoffs while Mostert received 12 carries. Over McDaniel's full tenure in San Francisco, Matt Breida led the team in rushing in 2018, Mostert in 2019, Jeff Wilson Jr. in 2020, and rookie Elijah Mitchell, who recorded 963 yards, in 2021.
Hampton, a rookie last season, rushed for 545 yards and four touchdowns while catching 32 passes in nine games. McDaniel has said Hampton will have opportunities for 'a ton of touches,' and his receiving and power combination gives him the clearest path to a three-down role. Mitchell, signed to a two-year contract, averaged 5.78 yards per carry last season and produced 10 runs of at least 10 yards on 59 attempts. Vidal led Los Angeles with 643 rushing yards, surpassed 100 yards in three games, and contributed as a receiver and pass protector.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has described the group as a potential 'Thunder and Lightning' backfield. McDaniel said all three backs are capable of starting and expects each to appear in most games. He also cited a preference for keeping backs fresh against defensive players who cannot substitute as readily.
McDaniel said his willingness to expand a back's role depends entirely on performance. 'If a player is playing really well, I'm not going to take him out,' he said. 'That's bad business.'
- No current-season game results are available to assess how the rotation has functioned in practice.
- Hampton, Mitchell, and Vidal are not quoted directly in the source regarding the rotation plan.
- The source does not specify the precise terms of Mitchell's two-year contract.
- The source does not indicate how McDaniel's role as offensive coordinator in Los Angeles differs structurally from his final role in San Francisco.
Read the original at New York Post