49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Playing over Sermon in opener

Mitchell is one of three running backs active Sunday for San Francisco's season opener in Detroit, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

The fact that Mitchell, a rookie sixth-round pick, is dressing for Week 1 is probably less of a surprise than the fact that third-round rookie Trey Sermon is in street clothes, considering that Sermon had been operating as the No. 2 back for most of training camp and the preseason. It's unclear if Sermon's healthy scratch is specific to the 49ers' Week 1 game plan or something that will carry over to future contests, but regardless, Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty will be on hand as the reserve options behind Raheem Mostert in the opener. While Mostert is expected to dominate the snaps and touches among the San Francisco backs, Mitchell and Hasty are both expected to see some involvement on offense, especially if the game turns non-competitive in the second half.