It was a popular occurrence for the 49ers to heavily rely on rookie operating back Elijah Mitchell in 2021. On the other hand, with the addition of Christian McCaffrey to the group, Mitchell is struggling to see any playing time.

In the course of the 49ers’ current victory more than the Los Angeles Rams, Mitchell was one particular of 4 active and healthier players who did not get on the field. In contrast, McCaffrey played each and every offensive snap for the group. Coach Kyle Shanahan admitted that the group created a error with their operating back rotation and acknowledged the will need to involve Mitchell additional.

McCaffrey at present leads the NFL in rushing attempts and yards by means of two weeks of the season. In the Week 1 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he rushed for 152 yards even though Mitchell only played ten snaps.

Shanahan described that the duty for substitutions normally lies with the position coaches, even though his key concentrate is on play-calling. On the other hand, he also acknowledged that he really should have noticed and requested Mitchell’s involvement.

In the course of his rookie season, Mitchell battled injuries but carried a heavy workload when he was on the field. In his final 5 typical season games, he had two games with 27 rushing attempts and 3 games with at least 21 carries. He also had 27 carries in the 49ers’ playoff-opening win more than the Dallas Cowboys.

Mitchell’s playing time drastically diminished with the arrival of McCaffrey in the middle of final season. Whilst McCaffrey is viewed as one particular of the finest operating backs in the league, it does not imply that Mitchell really should have no function in the 49ers’ offense.