The San Francisco 49ers may have a better-than-ever version of workhorse running back Elijah Mitchell next season, as it has been revealed he wasn’t 100 percent at the end of last year’s campaign.

#49ers RB Elijah Mitchell was playing hurt toward at the end of the season. He said he required a clean-up procedure on his knee.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) April 25, 2022

Mitchell had the minor procedure after the 49ers’ heartbreaking 20-17 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. That day, the former Louisiana standout had 70 yards from scrimmage, putting the cap on a year where he was pretty effective when healthy.

During the regular season, Mitchell had 963 rushing yards to go along with five scores on the ground. He also added 19 catches for 137 yards and a score through the air. Keep in mind the 23-year-old did all of this damage in 11 games after being limited by this knee issue.

Along with sharing the details of his “clean-up procedure,” Mitchell said he wants to pack on a few pounds of muscle in the offseason so he could be primed for a breakout year if he can stay on the field.

Despite being in the meat grinder division that is the NFC West, FanDuel Sportsbook has the Niners with the seventh-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1600.