In his first trip in the free agency period of his NFL career, veteran running back Jerick McKinnon garnered a lucrative four-year, $30 million deal to join the San Francisco 49ers. It has immediately placed a high level of expectations before him as being the workhorse in the backfield for his new team.

It is a responsibility that he has yet to truly carry in his first four years in the league that saw him take on a limited role with the Minnesota Vikings. According to Joe Fann of 49ers.com, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has voiced that he believes that McKinnon is worth paying that type of money given the talent that he possesses.

“I knew he was going to get money,” the Minnesota Vikings head coach said during this week's owners meetings. “I obviously didn’t know it was going to be that high. But he’s a good kid. He’s worth it.”

Through his first few seasons in the league, McKinnon has shown to be a versatile offensive weapon that can be an effective option both as a runner and receiver out of the backfield when given a chance to do so. McKinnon is coming off arguably his best season in the league as he posted a career-high 570 rushing yards with three touchdowns while posting career bests with 51 catches for 421 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

However, the only concern at this point is that he hasn't had to chance to be the clear-cut starter in any of his first four seasons that allow him to make a larger impact on the game. He has shown the ability in stretches to be an effective offensive weapon when he is on the field.

McKinnon will have the chance to do just that in San Francisco alongside budding star quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whose presence could have a major positive impact on his production on the field. Simply put, there is an opportunity in front of him to show that he can become the workhorse running back that the 49ers hope he can be.