San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Mitchell (knee) has made "real good progress," and the running back's 21-day window to return from injured reserve may open as early as Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
After picking up a sprained MCL in his left knee Nov. 27, Mitchell was given a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks. As of Monday, he's entered his fifth week of rehab from the injury, but there have been signals from Shanahan that Mitchell is in a good spot in that regard, per David Lombardi of The Athletic. Even if the 49ers designate Mitchell for return Friday, he's unlikely to be activated ahead of Sunday's game in Las Vegas. More realistically, the team is aiming for him to get back on the active roster for a Week 18 matchup with the Cardinals, or for the playoffs.