Who Should I Start? Elijah Mitchell or Roschon Johnson

Tuesday, August 27, 5:07 PM

The San Francisco 49ers placed running back Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, and his 2024 season is over. Mitchell, who was projected as the team's RB2, has dealt with injury problems throughout his career, having never played more than 11 games in a year. Jordan Mason is now expected to be the 49ers' RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey (calf) with Mitchell sidelined. Rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. will also see an uptick in playing time behind McCaffrey and Mason with Mitchell now done for the year.

Monday, September 30, 11:23 AM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson saw increased usage in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, serving as a change-of-pace option to help secure tough yards. He scored a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter, capitalizing on a strip-sack by Montez Sweat deep in Rams territory. Johnson's downhill rushing style made him an ideal choice for goal-line situations, while D'Andre Swift, who had struggled early in the season, found his rhythm once the Bears got him into open space. Chicago finished the game with 131 rushing yards, a significant improvement from the 63 they managed against the Colts. After impressing in his first outing of the season in Week 3, Johnson solidified his role as the clear No. 2 running back behind Swift. Although Swift had his best game yet, Johnson may have established himself enough to maintain his change-of-pace role and secure future goal-line opportunities.