Report: Elijah Mitchell to Miss Two Months of the Season With Knee Sprain
The 49ers suffered more than just one loss against the Bears in Week 1.
Elijah Mitchell is set to miss about two months of the season with a sprained MCL, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. He is undergoing an MRI Monday to gather further details of the full extent of his injury. Kyle Shanahan is set to speak to the local media on a conference call at 3:30pm, so a light should be shed and confirmed with Mitchell. If the injury is confirmed, then expect Mitchell to be placed on Injured Reserve and for the 49ers to sign a running back.
Before exiting the game, Mitchell ran the ball six times for 41 yards. He was averaging 6.8 yards a carry, which the 49ers sorely missed when he was ruled out for the game. Jeff Wilson Jr. had nowhere near the same impact or success running the football. It was a struggle for the 49ers on the ground outside of Deebo Samuel.
With Mitchell out for the foreseeable future, Wilson is sure to become the starter going forward. Ty Davis-Price was a healthy scratch in Week 1, but will likely start to be suited up going forward. Jordan Mason is also available for the 49ers to run out there, which was surprising to see that he didn't even get a look.
Wilson was struggling against the Bears as he averaged 2.2 yards a carry. In his defense, it was easy for the Bears to overload the box against the run considering the weather made it predictable as to what the 49ers were going to call.
Still, Davis-Price and Mason should see some opportunities in the coming games. Shanahan needs to go back to incorporating a rotation at running back again unless a player is absolutely dominating. Doing so should at least sustain some sufficient efficiency as the 49ers desperately needed that once Mitchell exited the game.
Let's see how they will fair going forward running the ball now.
