The 49ers were already without George Kittle for their Week 1 game against the Bears, and now, they have lost another of their top offensive weapons.
San Francisco announced during the first half of its game against Chicago that running back Elijah Mitchell had suffered a knee injury. He was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
It’s unclear on which play Mitchell was hurt. He was last on the field for a 1-yard first-down carry with 12:19 remaining in the second quarterback.
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Mitchell’s injury marks the second consecutive season during which the 49ers have lost their starting running back to a knee problem in Week 1. In 2021, Raheem Mostert suffered “significant cartilage damage” to his knee against the Lions. He was replaced by Mitchell.
Now, that has come full circle, as Mitchell was replaced by backup Jeff Wilson Jr. following his exit from the contest.
Wilson will likely handle a bulk of the carries with Mitchell out of action. The only other running back on the active roster is undrafted free agent Jordan Mason, who didn’t log a carry in the first half. Deebo Samuel will also see a larger role out of the backfield; his 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter opened the scoring at Soldier Field.
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49ers RB depth chart
Below is a brief rundown of San Francisco’s backfield depth.
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Elijah Mitchell |
| 2 | Jeff Wilson Jr. |
| 3 | Jordan Mason |
| 4 | Tyrion Davis-Price |
Wilson and Mason will be asked to carry the load with Mitchell out on Sunday. However, if the second-year back is out long term, Davis-Price — a 2022 third-round pick who was inactive for Week 1 — could also factor into the workload.
San Francisco also has Samuel, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and quarterback Trey Lance available to help on the ground. But in all likelihood, Wilson would be the backfield leader for the team.
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For those wondering where 2021 third-round pick Trey Sermon is, the 49ers released him just after final cuts. He was claimed off waivers by the Eagles, so he will not factor into San Francisco’s backfield plans even if Mitchell is out long-term.
