Elijah Mitchell will undergo a procedure on a broken finger sustained during the 49ers‘ 31-10 win over the Rams on Monday night, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced Tuesday. Mitchell will have a pin put in the finger he injured Monday night. The 49ers hope Mitchell will be able to practice Wednesday, while team doctors expressed optimism that Mitchell might be able to play Sunday against the Jaguars.
A 2021 sixth-round pick, Mitchell has played well after injuries thrust him into the starting lineup. He rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries in the 49ers’ season-opening win over the Lions. He had two other 100-yard games before rushing for 91 yards on 27 carries in Monday night’s win over the Rams. For the season, Mitchell has run for 560 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Mitchell was part of a 49ers rushing attack that churned out 156 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries against the Rams stout defense. With the onus on the running game, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo more than did his part by going 15 of 19 for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
“Honestly, it felt pretty similar to the Super Bowl year,” Garoppolo said of the 49ers offense Monday night, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “I felt like we ran the ball 30 times every time that year. When we can do that and be successful on third down, it’s a good recipe for us.”
If Mitchell has to miss Sunday’s game, the 49ers will rely more on Jeff Wilson, who had 28 yards on 10 carries against the Rams. Monday night was Wilson’s regular season debut after coming off of the team’s physically unable to perform list in Week 9.
On Sunday, the 49ers will face a Jaguars defense that is 11th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. Led by running back James Robinson, Jacksonville is also 11th in the league in rushing yards gained through 10 weeks.
Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest 49ers news, all from our team of veteran reporters. If you have the CBS Sports app, make sure to set the Niners as your favorite team and get news delivered to your fingertips.
