The 49ers' solution to keeping Christian McCaffrey fresh is staring them in the face
There is increasing optimism the San Francisco 49ers will have Christian McCaffrey available for their Week 7 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings despite suffering a rib/oblique injury in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns. However, if the Niners have to cope without their do-it-all running back, it isn't clear which of their stable of backs […]
There is increasing optimism the San Francisco 49ers will have Christian McCaffrey available for their Week 7 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings despite suffering a rib/oblique injury in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns.
However, if the Niners have to cope without their do-it-all running back, it isn't clear which of their stable of backs they would lean on in his absence.
Asked about what he would do in such a scenario during his Monday conference call, head coach Kyle Shanahan refused to commit to an answer.
"Yeah, we'll see. [RB] Elijah's [Mitchell] earned a ton with us over these years. I think Elijah, when he has been healthy, has been as good of a back as there is. He's just had a hard time staying healthy, but I also can't take away anything from JP. I mean every time JP's got his opportunities, you guys see how he's done. So both of those guys have done very well. Elijah came back and practiced late last week on Thursday. So he got really one true day of practice in and that's why JP got the first nod once Christian came out. But we've got two really good players there. I know [RB Tyrion] TY Davis[-Price] is waiting for his opportunity also. So hopefully Christian will be good to go this week, but if not, we've got a group of backs that we can rely on."
Shanahan not wanting to make any declarative statements is not a surprise, and his praise for Mitchell is understandable given what the 2021 sixth-round pick has shown when he has been on the field in previous years. The issue, though, is him staying on the field.
Mitchell's persistent problem
Mitchell led the 49ers in rushing in his rookie year, racking up 963 yards and five touchdowns and demonstrating impressive burst, elusiveness and contact balance in emerging as an impressive value pick for San Francisco.
Yet the reality is that Mitchell's durability concerns make him a dubious insurance policy for McCaffrey. He played in only five games last year because of a knee injury and has already missed two this season.
Mitchell returned to action in Sunday's 19-17 defeat but still looked to be getting his feet under him and had little room to run after McCaffrey left the game as the Browns' swarming defense dictated the second half.
His disappointing 2023 is in stark contrast to that of second-year back Jordan Mason, who has shone whenever he has been afforded the chance to do so this season.
Mason an excellent fit
A former undrafted free agent, Mason found the endzone again in Cleveland, making it two touchdowns in as many games after he capped off the Week 5 rout of the Dallas Cowboys in style.
Mason is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and his rushes this season have a success rate of 62 percent.
That would be a tough rate to maintain over a larger sample size and Mason lacks some of the agility of Mitchell. However, as an explosive and bruising 223-pound back who has already proven he can excel and dispense punishment running in between the tackles and on outside zone runs, Mason is an excellent fit to serve as the main back who helps preserve McCaffrey and keeps the ground game efficient in the process.
Even if McCaffrey is able to play against Minnesota, he will perhaps need to cede a little more of the workload than he has to this point in the season.
Mitchell has earned trust with his play in previous seasons and his more significant experience in pass protection is a large point in his favor.
In terms of carrying the ball, though, the most recent evidence indicates the additional carries should go to a back in Mason who continues to make strides each week he is on the field and has even shown some passing game upside as a receiver out of the backfield.
Shanahan's reluctance to give a clear response to the question about a McCaffrey stand-in is easy to understand, but the correct answer is staring him in the face.
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