The NFL preseason is over and the regular season is less than one week away, which means it’s time for fantasy football drafts. Many NFL fans are cramming ahead of their drafts and checking in on the various injuries around the league. What’s the latest on San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell, and should you draft him?
What’s the Latest on Elijah Mitchell’s Health?
Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) was trying to work through this injury. However, he couldn’t convince the coaching staff that he was anywhere close to 100%, so Mitchell was placed on injured reserve, ending his season before Week 1.
Mitchell has battled a number of injuries throughout his NFL career, and now he’ll focus on getting healthy for the 2025 NFL season. With Mitchell sidelined, who is the Niners RB to own as the handcuff to Christian McCaffrey?
Who is Christian McCaffrey’s Handcuff?
There isn’t a running back on this roster that was ever going to hold standalone value next to Christian McCaffrey, but the handcuff is now an interesting conversation. If CMC were to miss time, “San Francisco RB” instantly becomes a Flex-worthy option due to the efficiency of this offense.
Jordan Mason slots in as that man right now without much question, as he had a chance to enter the season ahead of a healthy Mitchell on the depth chart. Mason has just 86 touches on his NFL résumé, but he has two years of experience in this system and has been an efficient runner since his days at Georgia Tech.
Meanwhile, rookie Isaac Guerendo is the name to watch. He’s been battling a groin injury and isn’t ready for any kind of significant work in the short term, but Guerendo’s physical profile tempted the 49ers in the fourth round in April. And if he were to be pushed into a committee situation, there’s a chance he could do some damage.
Again, Guerendo isn’t a name to worry about now, but don’t lose track of him as he gets closer to full strength.