PHILADELPHIA -- Trenton Cannon, the newly acquired running back for the San Francisco 49ers, was not going to be used in any other role than special teams on Sunday. They couldn't help but add him to the offense.
The Niners' 17-11 win against Philadelphia Eagles saw them lose their top three running backs in just five minutes. After Raheem Mostert, the starter, was injured in his left knee last week against Detroit Lions, this result came about.
It was first Elijah Mitchell, the starter, who suffered a right shoulder injury. JaMycal Hasty sustained an ankle injury and Trey Sermon suffered a concussion. Mitchell left after his 1-yard touchdown run was ruled out. Hasty, Sermon and Mitchell were both out at the 5:45 mark.
Mitchell returned to the game with 5:26 remaining. Kyle Shanahan, the Niners' coach, stated that Mitchell's injury was a temporary stinger that would not last long.
Mitchell will be subject to further testing when the team returns from the Bay Area.
Shanahan stated that he said he was well enough to return in. We're hopeful it wasn't a stinger. It's easy to feel positive about something like the way he spoke and how he came back into the game.
The Niners ended up with 117 yards from 38 carries. This is an average of just 3.0 yards per attempt for a day when every yard was scarce.
Mitchell made his NFL debut last week and rushed for 104 yards. However, he struggled to get going on the ground because the Niners offense wasn't on its feet until the second half. Mitchell had 17 carries and 42 yards, with two catches for 11 yards.
Hasty was the Niners' most successful runner, carrying five times for 38 yard and four catches for 21 yard. Sermon was able to gain 8 yards with his one carry, but he suffered a concussion after he received helmet and shoulder shots.
Sermon will immediately be placed in the concussion protocol. He must complete it before he is allowed to return to the field. Shanahan was not sure of the extent of Hasty’s ankle injury and sent him back to the Bay Area for more tests.
Between Mitchell's return and the exits of Sermon and Hasty, Cannon ran once and lost one yard. This was the end to a hectic week in which the 49ers claimed Cannon off waivers from Baltimore Ravens.
Shanahan stated that he's been here only since Wednesday, and that we dressed him for special teams today. "And from what he saw, he did an amazing job. We weren't expecting him at running back to enter the room. But I believe he did and I'm glad he knew what to expect."
The status of Mitchell, Hasty, and Sermon at Wednesday's practice could determine whether the 49ers need to add another player to their roster. After being signed to the practice squad last Wednesday, veteran back Kerryon Johnson may be an option.
