San Francisco 49ers fans, the cavalry is coming.

That's right, after trading away then-leading rusher Jeff Wilson at the trade deadline, John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, and company have officially opened up the practice eligibility window on Elijah Mitchell, the Niners' lead rusher from 2021.

Entering the season as San Francisco's starting rusher ahead of Wilson and third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price , Mitchell suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 that landed him on IR and cost him the first two months of the season. With Mitchell out, and TDP down with his own injury, Wilson picked up the slack in an exceptional way, rushing for 468 yards on 92 attempts while filling a lead back role, but when McCaffrey came along on a trade from the Carolina Panthers that cost four draft picks, his role as an early down thumper evaporated. Still, that doesn't mean Mitchell couldn't have a role moving forward; because both players can rush inside and out plus contribute to the passing game, Mitchell could actually be a perfect backfield partner for CMC.

With San Francisco 49ers players returning from the Bye, Mitchell will now be eligible to work with his teammates and, when deemed eligible, return to the 53-man roster to play a complementary role to “3 TD” Christian McCaffrey.

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How will Mitchell and McCaffrey fit together on the field? Will Shanahan stagger their snaps, or will the wily running enthusiast craft some truly innovative offensive packages when the duo are on the field at the same time? Needless to say, Mitchell's return, whenever that may be, will be fascinating to see.