Coach Kyle Shanahan told Adam Copeland of KNBR 680 San Francisco on Thursday that he expects Mitchell (knee) to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game versus the Cardinals.
While Mitchell returned to practice Wednesday, the 49ers didn't officially designate him for return from IR until Thursday. The move opened up a 21-day window for the 49ers to activate Mitchell from IR, but he seemingly won't need that much time for the team to do so. As for the rest of the backfield, Christian McCaffrey (ankle/knee) hasn't practiced this week, but he revealed to David Lombardi of The Athletic on Thursday that his absences were a precaution, and he should be active this weekend. If both McCaffrey and Mitchell are able to suit up, it'll mark their fourth contest working together since the former arrived from Carolina in October. In the first three, Mitchell recorded 41 touches to McCaffrey's 47 in Weeks 10 through 12, so there may be room for both to produce.