All it took was two weeks for the 49ers to run into a precarious injury situation. The 49ers’ running back depth went from being extremely deep to almost comically thin, at least for the week.
Raheem Mostert sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. In Week 2, there was carnage. Elijah Mitchell sustained a shoulder injury on a goal-line attempt for a touchdown. JaMycal Hasty sustained a high ankle sprain which will send him to injured reserve. Trey Sermon was sent into the concussion protocol on his first professional snap.
That left San Francisco with Trenton Cannon for a snap. Kyle Shanahan said on KNBR on Thursday that the 49ers viewed him primarily as special teams player, but had no choice but to play him for that snap given the injury issue.
Shanahan said Mitchell’s situation is not looking great for this week, saying Thursday he “has the most outside chance” and that the 49ers were waiting for the pain in his shoulder to reside.
John Lynch said Friday morning that Mitchell is “very questionable.” Where does “very questionable” rank compared to questionable and doubtful? If we’re reading the tea leaves it sounds much closer to doubtful than likely to play.
As for Sermon, though, there was optimism. Shanahan said Sermon “had a real good day” of practice on Thursday and was hoping for him to be cleared for practice on Friday.
Lynch said Sermon is “doing well” and “looks like he’s going to have his opportunities.”
The rest of the running back depth chart has Cannon and the recently-acquired Jacques Patrick, who the 49ers signed off the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad, who projects much more of an inside zone running back.
On the practice squad, they’ve got veteran back Chris Thompson, who Shanahan raved about loving when he was with Washington and drafted him back in 2014, but never got a chance to work with until now. The other back is former Lions back Kerryon Johnson, who Lynch said could be flexed up for gameday.
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Listen to the full interview below.
