49ers RB Elijah Mitchell returns to practice Wednesday

The San Francisco 49ers will be getting even healthier heading into the regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that running back Elijah Mitchell will have his practice window opened. Mitchell has been on the injured reserve for most of the season, landing there for the second time Week 12 with an MCL sprain.

Hurting his knee against the New Orleans Saints, Elijah Mitchell rushed seven carries for 35 yards before disappearing from the field in the second half. Hoping for a minor sprain initially, tests confirmed that extent of the injury the next day.

He previously suffered the same injury to his other knee in the first quarter of Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, keeping him off the field until Week 10. The second-year tailback was scheduled to return to the practice field last Friday, but a non-Covid illness kept him at home during the week.

San Francisco will have 21 days to activate him off the IR, using their final designation of the season to do so. Hopefully, it won’t take that long to get him fully back, possibly seeing him return in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The #49ers are opening the practice window for RB Elijah Mitchell, per Kyle Shanahan. pic.twitter.com/ZQxo61j4Yt

— Kate Rooney (@TheKateRooney) January 4, 2023

“I know they definitely could help us win, that’s for sure, but if they’re 100% and completely healthy and going and they look great in practice, I’d like to talk to both of them about it too, see where they are and how confident they are,” Shanahan said earlier in the week. “I’ll definitely talk to the doctors, but usually once they let them come out to practice, it’s pretty good and we just have to see how they’re moving and how they feel through it all. I know it’s supposed to rain a bunch this week, so we’ll see how much full speed stuff we can get in, but yeah, I’d love to get those guys out there. I just want to make sure that’s going to only help us and them and not hurt us.”

In other injury news, RB Christian McCaffrey won’t practice Wednesday with a low-grade ankle sprain suffered Week 17. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw will also miss practice due to a back strain.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel will resume practicing Wednesday, recovering from ankle/knee injuries suffered against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shanahan has previously stated that he hopes to have all healthy players play to a certain extent in the regular-season finale, still vying for the No.1 seed in the NFC.

Shanahan discusses the 49ers' playoff scenarios and says their focus should remain on beating Arizona pic.twitter.com/8karmcIRtF

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 4, 2023

“We’d love to be the one-seed, but right now we’re the two-seed, and we need to keep the two-seed,” the coach added Wednesday.

Click here to watch Kyle Shanahan’s full Wednesday presser

49ers’ Practice Report Wednesday

Not Practicing:

QB Jimmy Garoppolo (foot)

DL Kevin Givens (knee)

RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle/knee)

LG Aaron Banks (ankle/knee)

DT Javon Kinlaw (knee)

LB Dre Greenlaw (back)

DE Nick Bosa (rest)

LT Trent Williams (rest)

Limited:

DL Arik Armstead (foot, ankle)

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