Elijah

Mitchell

Mitchell is presumably going on injured reserve for the hamstring injury that limited him earlier. Despite returning to practice six days ago, the team has opted to shut him down for the season, putting Jordan Mason in the driver’s seat as the backup to Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell has been plagued by injuries for much of his four-year career, appearing in just 27 games over that span. He’s been solid when healthy but will likely be looking for a new home after this season, with his contract set to expire.

Per Lombardi, rookie running back Isaac Guerendo, who was dealing with a hamstring injury of his own, has also returned to practice. Mitchell and Jordan Mason have been competing for the RB2 job in San Francisco this offseason and Mitchell’s absence has seemingly left the door open for Mason to steal the role. Whoever backs up McCaffrey has week-winning upside should the superstar miss any time, but it’s impossible to say who that player is at the moment.

The seemingly always-injured 49ers backup is now going on two weeks of not suiting up. We would like to say it’s not a big deal, but coach Kyle Shanahan praised Jordan Mason at the beginning of training camp, and Mitchell is leaning in to his durability concerns. Mason is also reportedly dealing with a minor injury, but this competition seems very real at this point.

The 49ers selected Guerendo with the 129th pick in this year’s draft. The former Louisville product turned in one of the best combine performances ever earlier this year and was expected to compete for the backup running back job in the 49ers’ backfield. His absence should bolster the fantasy stock for Elijah Mitchell, who looks firmly entrenched as the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for the time being. Guerendo will likely need to make up for lost time once he returns, and may not have much, if any fantasy impact early in the season.

This is based on Lombardi’s observations from OTAs and minicamp, but it sounds like Mitchell continues to have the inside edge as the RB2 behind fantasy football’s most valuable player. As Lombardi points out, the key to Mitchell offering any sort of contribution is his health, as the fourth-year vet has appeared in just 27 games during his first three seasons. Mitchell saw limited action last season, rushing 75 times for 281 yards and two touchdowns, with most of that production coming in the final two weeks of the regular season. He remains a high-end stash behind CMC but has little to no standalone value as long as McCaffrey is healthy.

The closest thing All-Pro Christian McCaffrey had to a backup, Mitchell remained scarily injury prone, missing 6-of-17 contests. He has now appeared in just 27 of a possible 51 career contests. 33 of Mitchell’s 83 touches came in Weeks 17-18, where the Niners began resting CMC with an eye toward the postseason. Operating in one of the league’s most efficient, run-friendly offenses, Mitchell averaged a disappointing 3.7 yards per carry. Already 26 in May, it just doesn’t seem to be happening for the 2021 sixth-rounder. Headed into the final year of his rookie contract, Mitchell’s 53-man roster spot might not be secure.

Mitchell was used sparingly throughout but cashed in from three yards out after a 25-yard scamper by Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter. He is highly unlikely to command many touches in the Super Bowl but always brings a threat of scoring in relief of the game’s top running back.

Despite not playing behind the starting offensive line, Mitchell ran hard, bowling off Rams defenders on a few carries. He has proven himself to be a capable back-up behind Christian McCaffrey, so Kyle Shanahan was more than content to let Mitchell split work with Jordan Mason in Week 18 to keep him fresh, especially since McCaffrey is currently battling a calf injury as the 49ers head into the playoffs.

It’s unclear how much action Mitchell will see. The 49ers already have the No. 1 seed locked up and Mitchell has a lengthy injury history. He could see a few drives, but Jordan Mason will likely lead the way to close out the regular season. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows speculated as much earlier this week. Mason will sit in the RB2 ranks for Week 18.

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows believes Jordan Mason will see an expanded workload in Week 18 instead of Mitchell. Mitchell has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and the 49ers have nothing to play for in Week 18, giving them a chance to rest him ahead of the playoffs. Christian McCaffrey has also been ruled out with a calf injury. If Mitchell is ruled out later in the week, Mason could rank as an RB1 for the final week of the regular season.