Mitchell (groin) participated in the 49ers' first open practice of OTAs on Tuesday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Mitchell dealt with injuries to both of his knees in addition to a late-season groin injury in 2022, so it was a positive sign to see him take part in the early stages of OTAs, with Chan noting that the running back "ran with power, taking reps from the backfield and as a pass catcher." The 25-year-old was still productive last season despite being limited physically, averaging 6.2 yards per carry while spelling starter Christian McCaffrey. With both backs looking healthy early in camp, San Francisco should begin the 2023 campaign with one of the top rushing duos in the league, assuming Mitchell can stay on the field.
Mitchell (groin) finished the regular season with 45 rushing attempts for 279 yards and two touchdowns across five healthy games.
Mitchell suffered injuries to both of his knees at different points of the season, resulting in a loss of 12 games in addition to his starting role. The 24-year-old remained productive backing up Christian McCaffrey with a healthy 6.2 yards-per-carry average when healthy. Mitchell did suffer a groin injury during the 49ers' playoff run, but it was considered minor at the time. The standout 2021 sixth-round pick remains under contract for the 2023 campaign, putting him in position to spell McCaffrey if health permits.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Inactive Sunday
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Mitchell (groin) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports..
Mitchell approached the game listed as questionable after not practicing this past week, and he'll be unavailable Sunday, which sets the stage for Jordan Mason and Tevin Coleman to log complementary snaps behind top running back Christian McCaffrey, with the versatile Deebo Samuel also mixing in. If the 49ers defeat the Eagles, Mitchell's next chance to see game action will arrive Sunday, Feb. 12 in the Super Bowl.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Status in question for Sunday
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Mitchell (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday's NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Both Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey (calf) were held out of drills Wednesday and Thursday, but only McCaffrey showed enough Friday to be cleared ahead of Sunday's contest. Coach Kyle Shanahan told Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News that Mitchell did take part in Friday's walkthrough, but the 49ers aren't yet ready to afford him the same luxury as McCaffrey after Mitchell logged a third consecutive DNP. Mitchell's status thus won't be known until about 90 minutes before Sunday's 3:00 p.m. ET kickoff. If Mitchell is limited or sidelined, Deebo Samuel (ankle), Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price and practice-squad member Tevin Coleman are the candidates to get reps at running back behind McCaffrey.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Not on field Friday
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Mitchell (groin) wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
If Mitchell eventually goes down as a non-participant for a third straight session, it'll be interesting to see how the 49ers list him ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia. On a positive note for San Francisco, though, Christian McCaffrey (calf) was taking part in drills Friday, one day removed from telling Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area that there's "zero" chance he doesn't play this weekend. Assuming McCaffrey eventually is cleared for the contest and some or all of Mitchell's reps are available, Deebo Samuel (ankle), Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price and practice-squad member Tevin Coleman are the candidates to mix in at running back behind McCaffrey.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Won't practice Thursday
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Mitchell (groin) won't take part in Thursday's practice, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Both Mitchell and starting running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) have yet to log any on-field work this week, while Deebo Samuel (ankle) so far has managed limited sessions. According to Shanahan, there's an expectation that all three backfield options will be able to suit up for Sunday's NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, but the entire situation should continue to be monitored to get a sense of who may get the larger share of the snaps at running back this weekend.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Sits out Wednesday's practice
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Mitchell (groin) won't practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Mitchell, Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Deebo Samuel (ankle) are all sitting out Wednesday's practice to nurse injuries, but head coach Kyle Shanahan expects the trio of playmakers to be available for Sunday's NFC Championship Game, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Mitchell and McCaffrey played through their respective injuries during the 49ers' divisional-round win over the Cowboys and were labeled as day-to-day by Shanahan on Monday, so it appears San Francisco is simply being cautious with its top two running backs. Following Wednesday's session, the 49ers will have two more practices before they decide whether to give Mitchell an official designation for the upcoming playoff matchup.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Day-to-day with groin injury
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Mitchell (groin) is considered day-to-day, but coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that he expects Mitchell to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Mitchell is in the same boat as Christian McCaffrey (calf), though this is the first mention of Mitchell's injury. McCaffrey out-touched Mitchell, 16-14, in the 19-12 win over the Cowboys in the divisional round, and both running backs should play sizable roles Sunday, even if their practice reps are limited in the week leading up to the game.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Leads rushing attack in win
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Mitchell rushed 14 times for 51 yards in Sunday's 19-12 playoff win over the Cowboys.
Mitchell wasn't targeted in the passing game after cashing in a short receiving touchdown in the wild-card round win over Seattle. Starter Christian McCaffrey gained 57 yards on 16 touches, as neither back was able to find much running room against Dallas' athletic front. Mitchell should continue to split rushing duties with CMC, but the latter possesses the greater fantasy upside in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Returns with two scores
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Mitchell (knee) suited up and logged five carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 38-13 win over Arizona.
Mitchell was activated from injured reserve for the second time this season, producing big fantasy numbers on just five touches while backing up Christian McCaffrey (13 touches). Both running backs have dealt with lower body injuries this year, which helps explains the low usage one week ahead of the playoffs. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season with a rushing line of 45-279-2 across five active games. Assuming Mitchell remains in good health, he should inch closer to double-digit carries when San Francisco hosts its upcoming wild-card game next week.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Ready to play Week 18
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Mitchell (knee) was activated off injured reserve Saturday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
It'll be interesting to see how the 49ers use Mitchell, especially considering the team has a chance to claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Expect Mitchell to get a healthy dose of touches, particularly in the second half, if the 49ers continue to limit the usage of their dynamic starter, Christian McCaffrey, who didn't practice both Wednesday and Thursday for precautionary reasons.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Likely to return Sunday
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Coach Kyle Shanahan told Adam Copeland of KNBR 680 San Francisco on Thursday that he expects Mitchell (knee) to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game versus the Cardinals.
While Mitchell returned to practice Wednesday, the 49ers didn't officially designate him for return from IR until Thursday. The move opened up a 21-day window for the 49ers to activate Mitchell from IR, but he seemingly won't need that much time for the team to do so. As for the rest of the backfield, Christian McCaffrey (ankle/knee) hasn't practiced this week, but he revealed to David Lombardi of The Athletic on Thursday that his absences were a precaution, and he should be active this weekend. If both McCaffrey and Mitchell are able to suit up, it'll mark their fourth contest working together since the former arrived from Carolina in October. In the first three, Mitchell recorded 41 touches to McCaffrey's 47 in Weeks 10 through 12, so there may be room for both to produce.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Back at practice
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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Mitchell (knee) will practice Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
As a result, Mitchell's 21-day window to return from injured reserve will officially open. The second-year running back is five weeks into his recovery from a sprained MCL in his left knee, an injury that was expected to entail a 6-to-8-week healing process. It's unknown if Mitchell has a chance to play in Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Cardinals, but with Christian McCaffrey dealing with a mild ankle sprain, Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price are the only healthy backs on San Francisco's active roster.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Return to practice likely this week
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49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Mitchell (knee) is slated to practice this week, which would open his 21-day window to be activated from injured reserve, Josh Dubow of The Associated Press reports.
Mitchell is dealing with his second MCL sprain of the season and has been sidelined since Week 12. He suffered the injury Nov. 27 and was given a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks. So far, five weeks have passed, so the running back is on schedule. It's unclear if he has a chance to be active Sunday against the Cardinals, but he'll at least take a first step toward his return to San Francisco's active roster.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Practice window not open yet
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Coach Kyle Shanahan relayed that Mitchell (knee) didn't practice Friday due to an illness, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Shanahan hinted Monday that a return to practice for Mitchell was possible before week's end, which would have opened his 21-day window to return from injured reserve. Instead, Mitchell has caught the bug that's impacted a few 49ers this week, thus delaying his first on-field work since spraining his MCL on Nov. 27. Assuming he's designated for return from IR next week, he'll have a chance to play Week 18 against the Cardinals, but more realistically the team is aiming to have him available for the postseason as a backfield option behind Christian McCaffrey.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Progressing in recovery
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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Mitchell (knee) has made "real good progress," and the running back's 21-day window to return from injured reserve may open as early as Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
After picking up a sprained MCL in his left knee Nov. 27, Mitchell was given a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks. As of Monday, he's entered his fifth week of rehab from the injury, but there have been signals from Shanahan that Mitchell is in a good spot in that regard, per David Lombardi of The Athletic. Even if the 49ers designate Mitchell for return Friday, he's unlikely to be activated ahead of Sunday's game in Las Vegas. More realistically, the team is aiming for him to get back on the active roster for a Week 18 matchup with the Cardinals, or for the playoffs.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: On track in recovery
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Mitchell (knee) is on track with his recovery from an MCL sprain, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic.
Lombardi also added that Mitchell is expected to occupy the 49ers' final IR spot (with a designation to return) following Javon Kinlaw's (knee) recent activation from injured reserve. The 24-year-old's initial timetable was expected to be 6-8 weeks, so he is still likely to miss the rest of the regular season, but a return for the start of San Francisco's playoff run seems possible. Mitchell was performing well in a complementary role behind Christian McCaffrey before getting hurt, so expect him to reclaim that role when he is healthy enough to return.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Shifts over to IR
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Mitchell (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
It's important to note that Mitchell could, and likely will, return during the 49ers' postseason run if the team gets to the playoffs, but this designation confirms the second-year back is out through at least Week 16. Based on the initial timetable placed by coach Kyle Shanahan earlier in the week, the postseason appears a more likely target for Mitchell's return to action. The 49ers did not choose to call up Tevin Coleman from the practice squad, meaning Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price will be left to back up star running back Christian McCaffrey on Sunday against the Dolphins.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Likely out 6-to-8 weeks
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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Mitchell (knee) is expected to be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, the 49ers plan to place Mitchell -- who is believed to be dealing with an MCL sprain of his left knee -- on injured reserve, which would ensure that he misses at least four games. However, based on the estimated timetable put forth by Shanahan, the running back doesn't seem likely to return before the postseason. In Mitchell's looming absence, Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason are now in line to log complementary snaps for the 49ers behind top back Christian McCaffrey. Tevin Coleman could be promoted from the team's practice squad to provide additional depth to the position group.
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49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Likely sprained other MCL
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Mitchell (knee) likely sprained his MCL in Sunday's win over the Saints, but the injury isn't to the same knee as his Week 1 MCL sprain, per coach Kyle Shanahan, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Mitchell sat out Weeks 2-8 due to the first MCL sprain, which suggests he could be facing another multi-week absence, though the 49ers will do more testing before releasing a return timetable. Shanahan believes this injury is less severe than Mitchell's previous MCL sprain, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Christian McCaffrey will lead the 49ers' backfield in Mitchell's absence, with Jordan Mason and possibly fellow rookie Tyrion Davis-Price on hand as well.
