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Kyle Shanahan doesn’t know what running back Elijah Mitchell’s status will be for Week 12, and the head coach isn’t going to venture a guess. Mitchell is still recovering from surgery on a fractured finger that kept him out of the 49ers’ Week 11 win in Jacksonville.
Shanahan expressed some optimism early last week that Mitchell would be able to play against the Jaguars, but the running back wasn’t able to practice and ultimately sat out the contest. Monday the head coach provided an update on Mitchell, but wouldn’t speculate on the rookie’s readiness for Sunday vs. the Vikings.
“We thought he was going to have a chance earlier in the week, but we could see he wasn’t close by the time we got to Sunday,” Shanahan said in a conference call. “I’m not going to guess this week. I know he couldn’t go today, so we’ll see how he is on Wednesday and just take it day-by-day.”
The 49ers rushing attack survived without Mitchell, but it’s clear they miss the explosive element he brings. Running backs Jeff Wilson Jr. and Trey Sermon combined for just 82 yards on 29 carries in Mitchell’s absence.
They got away with a lack of explosive runs against the the Jaguars, but the Vikings’ offense could put up enough points that the 49ers need some chunk plays on the ground.
San Francisco can win games without Mitchell, but they’ll only reach their ceiling with him on the field. His status will be worth keeping a close eye on throughout the week of practice.
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