49ers RB Elijah Mitchell Out Two Months With MCL Sprain
Sep 12, 2022, 1:46 PM | Updated: 3:55 pm
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 11: Elijah Mitchell #25 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes for a first down in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 11, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The injury bug continues to haunt the 49ers in 2022.
San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell could be out of action for at least two months after sustaining a sprained MCL in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter Monday, putting the 49ers in an uncomfortable situation early in the season.
49ers’ RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to be sidelined about two months with the sprained MCL that he suffered Sunday at Chicago, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2022
Mitchell was on his way to having a great day in the first half, mustering up six carries for 41 yards before getting hurt. He sustained the injury right before the half, after Bears safety Eddie Jackson dove at the ballcarrier’s knee, pushing it inward at an awkward angle.
Play that Elijah Mitchell injured is right knee
—Force from outside will stress MCL
—Meniscus could be in play because foot was planted and rotated
—Seems likely ACL is intact but will need to rule out tear with MRI
pic.twitter.com/A6wMWmWacf— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) September 11, 2022
“He was pretty down,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday via conference call. “We’re down for him. You know Elijah went through a lot last year, full of documented injuries he had. He had really worked hard this offseason, he was feeling really good going into that game and man I thought he looked really good before he got hurt. Just unfortunate hit that he had, trying to tell him to ‘keep his head up’, anybody who would have got caught in that situation would have gotten hurt. I mean with the way his foot planted in the ground and the guy hit his knee. I think we’re just real fortunate it wasn’t worse.”
The injury to Elijah Mitchell now leaves the 49ers with only three pure running backs on the roster: Jeff Wilson Jr., and rookies Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price. Wideout Deebo Samuel will likely contribute to the run game as well. He had eight carries for 52 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
Mitchell, 24, has been a shining star for the 49ers since bursting onto the scene in 2021, racking up 1,100 scrimmage yards and six TDs in his rookie year. The former Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun has dealt with injuries since coming to the league, only playing in 11 games due to various injuries last season.
