It didn’t take long for the 49ers to suffer some key injuries this season.
Shortly before halftime of Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears, starting running back Elijah Mitchell was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Starting tight end George Kittle (groin) and reserve lineman Daniel Brunskill (hamstring) were also unavailable.
After the game, coach Kyle Shanahan didn't know the severity of Mitchell's injury, but any time lost from the second-year back would be significant. He racked up a healthy 6.8 yards per carry on six rushes (41 yards total) in the first half before exiting the game and looked to have some great burst.
NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan provided an update after the game:
Mitchell, a 2021 sixth-round pick, was limited to just 11 games last season while dealing with finger, rib, concussion and knee issues. It’s early in his career, but the running back appears to be injury prone, as he also had a hamstring problem in the preseason. Mitchell is expected to be the bellcow of the backfield after totaling 963 rushing yards last season and is aiming to be the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014.
This marks the second straight season that the 49ers have suffered an injury to their top tailback in Week 1. Last year, Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending knee injury in the opener.
Wide receiver/running back Deebo Samuel continued to line up in the backfield on Sunday and had six carries for 40 yards and a touchdown by halftime. Jeff Wilson Jr. lined up as the primary tailback next to quarterback Trey Lance once Mitchell went down.
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