Kyle Shanahan promises to solve the curious case of Elijah Mitchell
There were four members of the 49ers' active roster who did not play a snap in Week 2, but only one was especially surprising. Expected before the season to play a key role in the backfield as part of a dynamic one-two punch with Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell was not on the field at any […]
There were four members of the 49ers' active roster who did not play a snap in Week 2, but only one was especially surprising.
Expected before the season to play a key role in the backfield as part of a dynamic one-two punch with Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell was not on the field at any point during the 49ers' 30-23 win over the Rams.
McCaffrey, meanwhile, played 100 percent of the offensive snaps, racking up 116 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The former eighth overall pick, acquired in a midseason trade with the Panthers last year, has played 100 percent of the snaps 15 times in his career. Since he entered the NFL in 2017, all other running backs have done so 10 times combined.
McCaffrey has now played 92 percent of the offensive snaps in his first full campaign with the 49ers. Such a heavy workload is testament to his value to both the running game and the passing attack, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan accepts the lack of a division of labor is not sustainable.
"We’ve definitely got to get Elijah in there more and do better with our rotation than we did yesterday," said Shanahan. "That wasn’t the plan going in. It just ended up that way and I’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen."
McCaffrey's importance to the offense is part of the reason why the Niners can't afford to use him as much as they have early in the season. In a long season that the 49ers hope will end at the Super Bowl in February, San Francisco is risking putting too much strain on McCaffrey, who has struggled with injury issues in previous years.
Though he has become the focal point of the 49er offense, the Niners have built impressive running back depth, including a runner in Mitchell who led San Francisco in rushing in 2021, so they don't always have to rely on McCaffrey so heavily.
Faced with a short turnaround to their Thursday Night Football game with the Giants, this week would be the perfect time for the 49ers to mix in Mitchell to help keep McCaffrey fresh for the stretch run.
49ers release estimated practice report for Week 3, vs. Giants
A key offensive starter would not have practiced.
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