Things got off to a roaring start in the NFL for 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell, who racked up 963 yards rushing and 137 receiving yards in his first season—setting a franchise record for rookies—after having been drafted in the sixth round by the 49ers out of Louisiana.
In fact, Mitchell ran for 104 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL game and posted 96 yards and a touchdown in his first-ever playoff game.
That was 2021, though. In the years since, Mitchell has had a hard time staying on the field, mostly dealing with a balky knee that required surgery to fix. In the meantime, the 49ers traded for star running back Christian McCaffrey, which meant that Mitchell’s opportunities to play plummeted.
And so, heading into the opening of preseason work around the NFL, Mitchell has gone from franchise standard-bearer to possible outcast. That’s the view at Bleacher Report where, in an article titled, “The Best Player Who Could Still Be Cut from Every NFL Roster In 2024 Offseason,” analyst David Kenyon pegs Mitchell as the 49ers’ man to be cut.
Elijah Mitchell Finished 2023 Strong
Here’s how Kenyon sees it: “Elijah Mitchell soared into the NFL with 1,100 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns as a rookie. Injuries limited him to five games in 2022, though, and he again held a backup role in 2023.
“San Francisco could cut Mitchell, moving ahead with some combination of Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor Jr. and rookies Isaac Guerendo and Cody Schrader.”
Mitchell played 11 games last year and carried the ball 75 times. While it appeared that he had been passed on the depth chart by backup Mason, who had touchdowns in back-to-back games in Weeks 5 and 6, Mitchell did assert himself as the clear No. 2 behind McCaffrey by the end of the season.
Mitchell totaled 31 of those 75 carries in the final two games of the year, 17 in a blowout Week 17 win over the Commanders and 14 as a starter in place of a resting McCaffrey in Week 18.
While cutting Mitchell could make sense just as part of the numbers game—the 49ers are likely to keep five running backs plus fullback Kyle Juszczyk—the move won’t save much in cap space. Mitchell is in the final year of his deal and slated to make $1 million this year.
49ers RB Room Could Be in for Changes
If the 49ers flesh out the running back depth chart behind McCaffrey based strictly on ability, it’s likely that Mitchell would be safe. But the 49ers could well factor in his injury history and decide to move on to Mason as the primary No. 2.
Taylor is a change-of-pace back who can add speed and pass-catching out of the backfield, though his spot could be imperiled by the drafting of Guerendo in the fourth round. Guerendo saw his stock jump when he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine.
“Well we love his speed,” coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after picking Guerendo. “We think he’s got a lot of speed. All our backs can run, but it’s nice to add one who possibly can run a little bit faster just for the change of pace and things like that. We like his running style. His running style I think is similar to Elijah [Mitchell] and the style that he runs with, he’s built that way and like the 40 that he has.”
