49ers predicted to cut key reserve RB ahead of season

Running back Christian McCaffrey played his way into the MVP conversation in 2023 and is one of the most explosive players at the position across the league, which limits the number of touches for the other running backs on the roster.

Will the San Francisco 49ers Cut Elijah Mitchell?

Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon put together a list comprised of each team’s player most likely to be released before the 2024 NFL season kicks off this fall, including 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell.

“Elijah Mitchell soared into the NFL with 1,100 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns as a rookie,” Kenyon points out for Bleacher Report. “Injuries limited him to five games in 2022, though, and he again held a backup role in 2023. San Francisco could cut Mitchell, moving ahead with some combination of Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor Jr. and rookies Isaac Guerendo and Cody Schrader.”

Running back is certainly a position where teams would prefer to be younger and cheaper wherever possible, and that is especially the case for a team like the 49ers who have such significant resources invested in McCaffrey.

As the 49ers look to free up spending flexibility under the cap for Brock Purdy’s impending mega-extension, releasing Mitchell could also be a step in the right direction against the cap.

Releasing Mitchell would create $1.05 million in cap space while triggering a dead-money charge of just $45,893.

The chance to get younger, more affordable, and create a roster spot for a more premium position could be a perfect storm for the 49ers to move on from Mitchell.