Elijah Mitchell injury update: Latest on 49ers RB for Week 5

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell missed his side's Week 4 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Mitchell is Christian McCaffrey's backup in the running back position and is crucial in how the 49ers operate their rush attack.

Mitchell sat out the Cardinals' game due to being added to the team's injury report this past Friday. The running back was dealing with a niggling knee issue, likely due to a lack of a break in the early 2023 season. Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason stepped up in his place and contributed to San Francisco keeping their unbeaten record to start the season.

Elijah Mitchell's injury update

According to CBS Sports, Elijah Mitchell is viewed as day-to-day ahead of the San Francisco 49ers Week 5 fixture against the Dallas Cowboys. Mitchell's knee has gotten the rest it needed, and he should participate in some capacity against "America's Team" on SNF.

While Christian McCaffrey is the RB1 regardless of Mitchell's availability, Kyle Shanahan has frequently stated his desire to utilize other RBs to keep Run CMC fresh for the business end of the year. Mitchell is high up the running back committee, so he should get some great touches against the Cowboys on Sunday.

Elijah Mitchell's NFL timeline

Elijah Mitchell has spent his entire NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. The University of Louisiana alum was selected by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after a solid college career at Lafayette.

Mitchell played the backup running back role in his rookie season, finishing the year with a stat line of 963 yards and five touchdowns, with 19 catches for 137 yards and one TD in 11 games and ten starts. He also performed admirably in the postseason, helping his franchise to the NFC Championship Game, where they narrowly lost to the LA Rams.

Mitchell's sophomore season didn't go as well as his rookie year, as he spent most of the year on the injured reserve. He finished the regular season with 279 rushing yards and two TDs in five games. Furthermore, Mitchell only started one regular season game in 2022 due to the presence of All-Pro caliber running back Christian McCaffrey. Hence, he received significantly fewer touches than his rookie season, even when fit as a fiddle.

Mitchell's sophomore season ended when the 49ers lost to the Super Bowl finalists, the Philadelphia Eagles. Mitchell hopes for a better 2023, as he's almost due for a contract renewal.