The rushing attack of the San Francisco 49ers had a big night on Monday against the Los Angeles Rams, but one of the team’s key ballcarriers may have gotten banged up in the process.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Eric Branch, Elijah Mitchell sustained a finger fracture in the Niners’ 31-10 win. He plans to undergo surgery later on Tuesday afternoon.
The update is quite the shock after another strong showing for Mitchell on Monday night. The rookie running back took 27 carries for 91 yards, leading the Niners’ dynamic rushing attack to over 150 yards in the victory.
Despite the disappointing diagnosis, Branch reports that head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic that Mitchell could practice as soon as tomorrow and be ready to play by Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
#49ers RB Elijah Mitchell has a finger fracture and is having surgery today. Kyle Shanahan is “hoping he as a chance to practice tomorrow” and be able to play Sunday vs. Jacksonville.
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) November 16, 2021
Mitchell has been one of the lone bright spots for the 49ers offense this year. In his first NFL season, he’s blossomed into the team’s lead ballcarrier and has shown flashes of being one of the best young running backs in the league.
After Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending knee injury in San Francisco’s opener, Mitchell took over the starting gig and hasn’t looked back. In seven games this year, he’s rushed 116 times for 560 yards and three touchdowns.
If Mitchell isn’t able to play this upcoming weekend, Shanahan will likely turn to Jeff Wilson Jr. to handle the bulk of the workload. The Niners could also continue to make use of Deebo Samuel out of the backfield to confuse the Jaguars defense.
San Francisco will travel to take on Jacksonville at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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