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After suffering through a string of untimely injuries at the beginning of the 2022 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers are slowly but surely getting the band back together, with players like Jimmie Ward and Jason Verrett having already come off of IR and the PUP List respectively and a few more players, namely linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, offensive tackle Colton McKivitz and running back Elijah Mitchell, who have officially had their practice windows opened up by John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, and company.
With 21 days to come off the list and rejoin the active rosters, Al-Shaair, McKivitz, and Mitchell could all be back on the field as soon as Sunday, when the Niners take on the Los Angeles Chargers on their home turf in Week 10, against the Cardinals on the road in Arizona in Week 11, against the New Orleans Saints in Santa Clara in Week 12, or in Week 13, when the Miami Dolphins come to town for the first time with Bradley Chubb – a player they acquired using a pick procured from San Francisco – on their roster. Granted, technically Al-Shaair, McKivitz, and Mitchell could be on the active roster and inactive but the 49ers likely wouldn’t have activated their windows if they were more than 21 days away from being game ready.
Elijah Mitchell Is Excited To Re-Join The San Francisco 49ers
Speaking with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area about his return to the practice field, Mitchell detailed his excitement to come back and work with his teammates once more.
“I’m excited,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday. “I’m just excited to come in and help out even more. It’s going to be awesome. I’ll be around here, getting better, taking care of my body, getting ready for Sunday night.”
Sunday night you say? While fans shouldn’t take Mitchell’s word as gospel, as the former sixth round pick out of Louisiana isn’t solely responsible for deciding if he plays or he he remains off the 53-man roster, it’s encouraging to hear the second-year pro speak with such optimism about his return to the field.
Elijah Mitchell Believes He Can Fit With Christian McCaffrey
Asked elsewhere in his interview with Maiocco about how he believes he will fit on the field with the Niners’ new RB1, Mitchell complemented his new teammate and expressed excitement about their potential pairing.
“We’re going to complement each other,” Mitchell said. “My reaction (to the trade) was always good to add somebody to the running backs room.”
“He’s an amazing player,” Mitchell said of McCaffrey. “He can do it all: Throw, catch and run.”
“Really, I’m learning from him, too. He’s a vet, so he knows what it’s like.”
Could Mitchell and McCaffrey find themselves on the field at the same time in a double running back “Pony Set?” Only time will tell, but if Kyle Shanahan opted to really challenge defenses with an even more complex rushing attack than usual, Mitchell knows that his offensive versatility could be the key to seeing the field more often than most backups.
“I always knew I could catch the ball,” he said. “So definitely when it’s my turn to get in for third downs or whatever, I can definitely do that, too.”
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