Jordan Mason may challenge Mitchell for the No. 2 RB role, Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Mitchell was still viewed as the clear No. 2 running back as recently as minicamp in June, but Mason's continued development may be complicating things. San Francisco's strong backfield depth behind Christian McCaffrey could even make Mitchell a trade target heading into the final year of his rookie contract, although the 49ers would probably feel better about that if fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo was practicing rather than nursing a hamstring injury. Mitchell still makes sense as a late-round pick in fantasy drafts, as it's hard to know if the camp hype surrounding Mason really matters relative to Mitchell's solid track record when tasked with a lead role. There's even potential for Mitchell's value to rise considerably between now and Week 1, either via a trade or a McCaffrey injury.
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Jordan Mason may challenge Mitchell for the No. 2 RB role, Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Mitchell was still viewed as the clear No. 2 running back as recently as minicamp in June, but Mason's continued development may be complicating things. San Francisco's strong backfield depth behind Christian McCaffrey could even make Mitchell a trade target heading into the final year of his rookie contract, although the 49ers would probably feel better about that if fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo was practicing rather than nursing a hamstring injury. Mitchell still makes sense as a late-round pick in fantasy drafts, as it's hard to know if the camp hype surrounding Mason really matters relative to Mitchell's solid track record when tasked with a lead role. There's even potential for Mitchell's value to rise considerably between now and Week 1, either via a trade or a McCaffrey injury.
Mason has made a strong impression on coach Kyle Shanahan this summer and could challenge Elijah Mitchell for the No. 2 RB role, Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Mason initially made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2022 and has since seen action in 33 of 34 regular-season games, logging 181 snaps on offense and 494 on special teams. He's thus far remained behind Mitchell when both have been healthy, but it's possible the Niners would prefer Mason in the backup role due to his advantages in size (5-foot-11, 223 pounds), durability and blocking. Mitchell is much faster but also smaller (5-foot-10, 200 pounds), and he has nearly as many missed games (24) as receptions (28) through three NFL seasons. The addition of rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) means a trade could even be in play, with Mitchell being the main candidate as he heads into the final season of his rookie contract. Of course, none of them will play much on offense unless Christian McCaffrey misses time with an injury.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Monday that Jackson (knee) isn't expected to return during training camp, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports. Jackson was moved to the active/PUP list last week after missing the final 12 games of the 49ers' 2023 campaign due to a knee issue. There's no timetable on Jackson's return, but it appears that he's definitely still hindered by his injury. Once the 23-year-old gets back on the field, he's expected to compete for a depth role on San Francisco's defensive line.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Monday that Cowing is expected to miss another week or so with his hamstring injury, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports. If Cowing misses one more week, he will have missed a total of 10 days of 49ers practice. However, it seems as if he'll definitely be ready for to go for the beginning of San Francisco's 2024 campaign. The 2024 fourth-round pick out of Arizona is expected to play a depth role in the 49ers' wide receiver room throughout his rookie season.
Guerendo is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks due to the hamstring injury he sustained last week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Based on Schefter's report, it seems likely that the rookie fourth-rounder will be unavailable for the 49ers' preseason opener, at a minimum. Once he's back in the mix, Guerendo will compete with Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor and Cody Schrader for backfield slotting behind Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell.
Pearsall (hamstring) has been activated from the active/non-football injury list. As a result, Pearsall, who the 49ers took 31st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, is in uniform for the team's first padded training camp practice, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Now that the Florida product is back on the field, he figures to compete with Jauan Jennings for slotting behind top WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, the latter of whom has been present for practice but not participating as he seeks a new contract.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday that he expects Hufanga (knee) to be back "in the next week or two," David Lombardi of The Athletic reports. Hufanga is in the final stages of his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered last November against Tampa Bay. Shanahan indicated Saturday that Hufanga may be able to return around the time the 49ers and Saints hold joint practices, which will take place in mid-August. Hufanga thus has a good chance of being ready to take on his starting safety role from the opening game of the regular season.
Burford has suffered a broken hand and will be out three to four weeks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. The possible recovery timeline suggests Burford could be ready at the start of the season. The second-year guard is expected to be a swing guard for an unheralded group of linemen outside of stalwart left tackle Trent Williams.