Mitchell (knee) could be a candidate to return from injured reserve after the 49ers' Week 9 bye, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Mitchell is eligible to come off IR at any point, but a potential target date may be difficult to pinpoint until the 49ers clear him to resume practicing. The running back looks as though he may be close to doing that, as Barrows notes that Mitchell was spotted running and working out off to the side during Friday's practice. Even if Mitchell makes it back for San Francisco's first post-bye game Week 10 versus the Chargers on Nov. 13, he'll likely be headed for a complementary role out of the backfield after serving as the 49ers' lead back prior to suffering an MCL sprain of his right knee back in Week 1. The 49ers acquired 2019 first-team All-Pro Christian McCaffrey last week, and he'll likely end up seeing the overwhelming majority of the backfield snaps and touches while he's healthy.