"Elijah Mitchell, the rookie who's been really good for us, our sixth-round pick, he got his shoulder [hurt] trying to get it in the goal line on one of those runs," Lynch said on the Murph & Mac show. "He's a tough kid. I can't tell you how tough he is. You see it in his running style and the same in terms of his want to get back on the field. But we've got to make sure he's alright, so I think that still is very questionable."
The other rookie running back, Trey Sermon, suffered a concussion on a devastating blow to the head during his first NFL carry. However, the 49ers general manager sounded more confident about Sermon's potential availability this weekend.
"The good news is that Trey Sermon, who took a vicious hit there — that was some old-school hitting, got the forearm to the head and then the spear to the head — he's doing well," Lynch continued.
Lynch is a fan of the concussion protocol, which established strict guidelines in the return of players who suffer head injuries, taking the decisions out of the team's hands.
"Trey looks like he's doing well in that whole process," Lynch said. "We'll see. We've got to get through the rest of the week, but Trey Sermon looks like he's going to have his opportunities. We'll see on Elijah."
Added Lynch: "Fortunately, Trey came back and really felt good, essentially, right after the hit. He went in the protocol, and he's been out here in practice in kind of a limited fashion yesterday and came out well, so we'll see. That's got to stay true throughout the week until Sunday, and the protocol will take care of it. But we're encouraged by the way it's going."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Watch: 49ers TE George Kittle moving well at TEU amid recovery
Tight End University (TEU) kicked off this week in Nashville, Tennessee, and San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle appears to be trending in the right direction during on-field work. Kittle is continuing his recovery from the Achilles injury he suffered during... -
49ers' Brock Purdy addresses tough NFC West, Rams clash in Australia, George Kittle's recovery
Competing in a loaded NFC West won't be easy for the San Francisco 49ers. The team finished third in the division last season, behind the eventual Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, widely viewed as the Super Bowl LXI favorite entering... -
49ers' George Kittle reaches new milestone in Achilles recovery
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle provided an encouraging update on his Achilles recovery during a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast. Kittle suffered the injury during San Francisco's first playoff game last season, a victory over the Philadelphia... -
49ers fans take note: NFL insider warns 'the 18-game slate is coming'
San Francisco 49ers fans would undoubtedly welcome another opportunity each season to watch their favorite team take the field. According to one NFL insider, that extra game is likely on the horizon—it's simply a matter of when the league and players can agree on the...