Mitchell (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Seattle, with coach Kyle Shanahan suggesting the running back's availability could come down to pain tolerance, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Shanahan said he doesn't doubt Mitchell's pain tolerance and would consider it "pretty impressive" if the rookie ends up playing, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports. That might be nice for Mitchell to hear, but for fantasy managers it's a sign that the running back could be limited or ineffective even if he's able to suit up. With Mitchell out last week, Trey Sermon took a team-high 10 carries for 31 yards and a touchdown while playing 59 percent of snaps on offense, often giving way to FB Kyle Juszczyk in passing situations. It also is possible that the Niners find a role for Trenton Cannon or Jacques Patrick if Mitchell ends up inactive ahead of Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. Shanahan's comments Friday suggest Mitchell will be treated as a game-time decision -- even if the team isn't optimistic -- after the running back was a limited practice participant Wednesday through Friday.