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Last week, 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell went down with an adductor strain, an injury that did not seem to be much of a big deal considering coach Kyle Shanahan noted that Mitchell would miss only a week.
But on Monday, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the 49ers were working out for running backs, “with Elijah Mitchell out due to injury.” The four: Duke Johnson, Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols and Jason Huntley.
None have been major needle-movers in their NFL careers, but with Mitchell slated to be the backup, the possibility of a longer-than-expected injury absence is a concern. Mitchell was injured for all but five games last year, but ran for 279 yards and two touchdowns. As a rookie in 2021, Mitchell appeared in 11 games and tallied 1,100 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.
He had four games with 100-plus yards rushing that year, including his career debut (104 yards in a win over Detroit).
McCaffrey Set to Excel in 49ers Offense
It behooves the 49ers to be vigilant when it comes to Mitchell, given his extensive injury log. In two seasons, he has missed time with injuries to his shoulder, chest, hand, knee (more than once) and quad. He also suffered a concussion in 2021.
Christian McCaffrey is the team’s starter, and played in 11 games (10 starts) after being traded from the Panthers last season. He tallied 1,880 yards from scrimmage, and scored 13 touchdowns combined last year, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl.
McCaffrey should be even better this year, he noted when speaking on KNBR on Monday, because his knowledge of Kyle Shanahan’s playbook is exponentially better than when he arrived last year and had to learn on the fly.
“Yeah, it’s much better,” McCaffrey said. “OTAs were great, just to really understand the concepts and really, not just learn the running back position, but the whole offense … Coming into camp, you’re not playing catch-up. So it’s been great to be able to kind of not just learn the offense, but master it.”
Possible 49ers RB Additions
Quick thumbnails on the four players the 49ers looked at in Mitchell’s absence:
Duke Johnson. Johnson was a starter in Cleveland when he arrived as a third-round pick out of Miami in 2015, and had four good years mostly as a pass-catching back for the Browns. But he has steadily declined as his career has gone on, and made just one appearance for Buffalo last season while spending most of the year with the practice squad.
Brian Hill. In four seasons, Hill has bounced through five NFL organizations, and last made an appearance with the 49ers in 2021. He signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League but was waived before the season stated in 2022.
Jeremy McNichols. A true journeyman, McNichols has bounced through nine organizations in his career, most significantly with Tennessee, where he played 30 of his 34 career NFL games in 2020 and 2021. He was briefly with the 49ers as a rookie in 2017, but recorded no stats in two active games.
Jason Huntley. Huntley was waived by the Lions after being drafted by the team in 2020, and was picked up the Eagles, where he played six games in two seasons. Huntley was on the Steelers’ practice squad last year, but was waived by Pittsburgh last week.
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