The San Francisco 49ers took care of business against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, winning by a final score of 30-23. Christian McCaffrey had a big game out of the 49ers backfield, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown. Although head coach Kyle Shanahan was surely content with McCaffrey's success, he wasn't thrilled with the McCaffrey-Elijah Mitchell rotation approach, per David Lombardi of The Athletic.

“Kyle Shanahan says the 49ers have to do a better job with their RB rotation — Elijah Mitchell didn't see any carries, and Shanahan said that was NOT the plan. 23 touches for Christian McCaffrey,” Lombardi reported.

49ers' running back rotation

Three 49ers players recorded rushing yards against the Rams. McCaffrey of course led the charge, while Deebo Samuel added 38 and Brock Purdy had five rushing yards. When Purdy is out-rushing a reliable running back like Mitchell, that's when a red flag is destined to go up. Shanahan and the 49ers want Mitchell to receive reps out of the backfield during games.

Mitchell likely isn't happy about the situation. He doesn't have a problem with McCaffrey though, even expressing his excitement to work alongside the running back prior to the season. But Mitchell is a good running back who must be featured on a more consistent basis.

Overall, San Francisco has performed well in 2023. Many people around the NFL world believe the 49ers have what it takes to win the Super Bowl. Keeping McCaffrey healthy is another factor that goes into the rotation conversation. Giving Mitchell more reps in the backfield will allow McCaffrey to rest more, something that could pay major dividends in the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see if Mitchell gets more playing time in Week 3.