SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss all three of the team’s preseason games after suffering a hamstring injury, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
However, Mitchell is expected to be ready for the regular season, the source said Schefter.
Mitchell did not attend the team’s Wednesday practice session and wore street clothes ahead of Friday’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers.
2 relatives
By the first two weeks of camp, Mitchell had resumed the role he had assumed the previous season as San Francisco’s running back. With Mitchell out, the 49ers will turn to a group that includes Trey Sermon, rookie Tyrion Davis-Price and JaMycal Hasty to handle the show carries.
Veteran defenseman Jeff Wilson Jr. is also on the roster but didn’t play against Green Bay, along with a large group of key Niners including left tackle Trent Williams, end Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner, receiver Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and tight End George Kittle.
Mitchell, a sixth-round pick from Louisiana in 2021, set a franchise rookie rushing record for 963 yards and added five touchdowns last season despite playing six games with a litany of injuries (ribs, knees, finger, shoulder and concussion) missed.
After off-season knee surgery, Mitchell came back to camp a little heavier, hoping to handle the workload without issue. Mitchell is the second key Niner to deal with a muscle strain after cornerback Charvarius Ward was sidelined by a similar issue earlier this week. Like Mitchell, Ward is expected to be ready for the regular season.