Sermon is out of the concussion protocol and likely will serve as the 49ers' starting running back Sunday night against the Packers, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
The Friday injury report lists Elijah Mitchell (calf) as doubtful and JaMycal Hasty (knee) as out, while Sermon avoids a game designation altogether. The rookie thus appears ticketed for the lead backfield role in an offense with excellent coaching and blocking, considering the other healthy RBs on the roster are Trenton Cannon (primarily a special teams player) and Jacques Patrick (a 2020 UDFA who was signed Tuesday), while veterans Kerryon Johnson and Chris Thompson are the options from the practice squad. Of course, Sermon hasn't done much to inspire confidence, first slipping down the depth chart this summer and then suffering an injury on his first NFL carry. No matter, the third-round pick has a nice opportunity, with a big night potentially leading to continued involvement even if/when the Niners backfield gets a little healthier.