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Elijah Mitchell (RB)

Chiefs Pursued Charvarius Ward Reunion

March 20th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Sam Robinson

Establishing a clear M.O. during the Andy Reid-Steve Spagnuolo years, the Chiefs have preferred to make their key cornerbacks one-contract players. A recent reminder of this strategy emerged last year, when the team traded L’Jarius Sneed.

After a Super Bowl LIX effort that saw the Eagles pick on Sneed replacement Jaylen Watson, the Chiefs showed more interest in making a notable cornerback payment. Kansas City signed Kristian Fulton to a two-year, $20MM deal. The ex-Titans and Chargers defender will be positioned to play opposite Trent McDuffie next season, but his signing came after the Chiefs pursued a reunion with one of the CBs they let walk in the past.

The three-time reigning AFC champions were in the Charvarius Ward market, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. Ward, whom Kansas City turned from UDFA to upper-echelon starter after acquiring him via trade from the Cowboys, ended up signing with the Colts. Indianapolis deviated from its general blueprint as well, paying both Ward and Camryn Bynum on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. Chris Ballard’s team gave Ward a three-year, $54MM deal; it appears the Chiefs helped push that market to its endpoint.

Acquired straight up in a late-summer trade for guard Parker Ehinger in 2018, Ward became a primary Chiefs starter ahead of their Super Bowl LIV-winning 2019 season. Ward started three full seasons with the Chiefs, who moved on from the likes of Marcus Peters, Steven Nelson and Kendall Fuller during that time period. When it came time to pay Ward in 2022, Kansas City passed and let San Francisco hand out a three-year, $40.5MM deal. The Chiefs were able to get by without Ward, drafting McDuffie and turning to Sneed as an every-down player, but Ward also rewarded the 49ers.

When the Chiefs faced the Niners to wrap the 2023 season, Ward had received second-team All-Pro honors. He operated as a three-year starter in San Francisco, and while coverage metrics did not view the soon-to-be 29-year-old’s form on the level of his 2022 and ’23 campaigns, the boundary defender generated a big market. Receiving $27MM guaranteed at signing, Ward joined Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis and Paulson Adebo in signing an $18MM-per-year deal. Ward, Murphy, Davis and D.J. Reed ($16MM AAV) established a new market for third-contract CBs.

Ward will join Kenny Moore in Indianapolis, while Kansas City must now determine whether to break from its general Reid-years plan and give McDuffie a monster extension. The decorated cover man is now extension-eligible, but once the Chiefs pick up his fifth-year option, the 2022 first-rounder will be under contract through 2026. That will give the team time, though the once-stagnant CB market has risen over the past several months. McDuffie will be quite expensive to extend, and it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs pay their top Reid-era corner the new going rate.

Elsewhere on the Chiefs’ roster, they did bring in two of Ward’s recent 49ers teammates. Kansas City’s contract for ex-Christian McCaffrey backup Elijah Mitchell checks in at one year and $2.5MM in base value ($1.35 guaranteed), NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This came after Jaylon Moore signed to be the team’s new left tackle.

Coming off a full-season absence, the injury-prone RB still scored a $1.1MM base salary guarantee from the Chiefs, via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The Chiefs, however, re-signed Kareem Hunt after agreeing to terms with Mitchell. These two are poised to back up Isiah Pacheco, who is not expected to be considered for an extension until he can show pre-injury form after suffering a broken leg last September.

Chiefs, RB Elijah Mitchell Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 11:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Known to be interested in making a free agent running back addition, the Chiefs have moved quickly in doing so. Elijah Mitchell has a one-year deal in place worth up to $3.5MM, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Kansas City is taking a flier on an injury-prone back, one who missed all of last season after San Francisco played the Christian McCaffrey backup on IR before setting its 53-man roster. Mitchell had previously sustained setbacks as a rookie and in 2022, when the 49ers used two IR activations on the sixth-round pick.

Mitchell memorably usurped Trey Sermon, a third-round pick presumed to be the 49ers’ lead back going into the 2021 season, ahead of his first game and led the ’21 49ers in rushing (963 yards). The mid-major product missed six games that season and 12 in 2022, going down with two MCL injuries in the latter season. When Mitchell returned from the first of those, the 49ers had traded for McCaffrey. As McCaffrey zoomed to the 2023 rushing title, Mitchell totaled 75 carries for 281 yards and two scores in 2023.

The Chiefs won a bet on a previous injury-prone 49ers castoff, seeing Jerick McKinnon shake off two full-season absences and play three years as a passing-down back alongside the likes of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco. Edwards-Helaire is now with the Saints, and Pacheco is coming off a season in which a broken leg slowed his momentum. Kareem Hunt, added in the wake of Pacheco’s leg break, is again a free agent.

Losing Samaje Perine to the Bengals on Monday, the Chiefs have only Pacheco and 2024 UDFA Carson Steele on the roster as RB holdovers. Mitchell, 27, will vie for a backup job, but the Chiefs should be expected to make another addition — perhaps in the draft — to round out their group.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

49ers Activate Talanoa Hufanga, Move Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two 49ers remain out out of the mix (but definitely not out of headlines, in Brandon Aiyuk‘s case), though both standouts are still employed by the team. Though, Trent Williams remains on the reserve/did not report list. Here is how the defending NFC champs pared their roster to 53 by today’s deadline:

Released:

Waived:

Activated from active/PUP list:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (return designation):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Hufanga’s status represents a positive development for a 49ers team in need of them. The All-Pro safety had been rumored to join Greenlaw on the reserve/PUP list. Avoiding it does not guarantee Hufanga will be ready for Week 1, but it keeps the fourth-year defender in the equation for the 49ers’ first four games. They are choosing to carry Hufanga on the 53-man roster and go week-to-week with him. This undoubtedly led to Walker being moved off the roster.

Conversely, Mitchell’s time with the team may be over. San Francisco surprised most by vaulting the 2021 sixth-round pick into a starting role to open that season, dropping Trey Sermon to a backup spot. Mitchell operated as San Francisco’s preferred starter — as long as he was healthy, which was sporadic — until the October 2022 Christian McCaffrey trade. The 49ers now have Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo as CMC backups.

A hamstring injury has sidelined Mitchell, potentially opening the door to an injury settlement. Davis will be able to return this season for the 49ers; Mitchell’s designation would prevent that. The 49ers are down to seven IR activations as a result of the Davis decision. A 2022 sixth-round pick, Davis remains in the team’s plans despite injuries largely keeping him out of action. Davis has played just three NFL games, and he suffered another injury — a knee issue requiring surgery — during camp.

The 49ers, who will bring many of these players back to the practice squad, cut two recent third-round picks — Gray and Latu. The latter has not played yet as a pro, missing his entire rookie season with an ACL tear. Gray has been unable to carve out a role on a 49ers team that has seen Jauan Jennings stick as the team’s WR3; rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing are also in the mix now.

Latest On 49ers’ RB Depth

June 15th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian McCaffrey‘s recent two-year extension with the 49ers all but assures that he’ll be on the roster through at least the 2026 season. However, there’s uncertainty surrounding the future of the team’s other RBs, and that likely influenced the front office’s approach to the offseason.

[RELATED: 49ers Extend RB Christian McCaffrey]

Elijah Mitchell (unrestricted) and Jordan Mason (restricted) are both set to hit free agency after the season. The duo’s expiring contracts ended up influencing the 49ers’ decision to trade up for fourth-round RB Isaac Guerendo and sign UDFA Cody Schrader, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

Mitchell once seemed poised to take over the starting RB gig in San Francisco, as he collected 1,100 yards from scrimmage as a rookie. However, injuries limited him to only 16 games across the past two years, and with McCaffrey leading the depth chart, Mitchell has compiled only 581 yards over that two-year span. Mason, meanwhile, has averaged 5.6 yards on his 83 carries, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the RB is a likely lock to make the 2024 squad.

Considering his draft status, Guerendo is also probably a lock to make the roster. After peaking with 500 yards at Wisconsin in 2022, the RB took it to another level at Louisville in 2023, collecting 1,044 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Schrader, a Missouri product, is probably destined for the practice squad, although he should be in line for a larger role in 2025. The odd man out in this equation would likely be Patrick Taylor, who got into 34 games with the Packers between 2021 and 2023.

While McCaffrey has been able to put together two-straight healthy seasons, the 49ers will surely be wary of his workload as he enters his age-28 season. With $24MM guaranteed over the next two seasons, the 49ers will want to be careful with their offensive star…which will put even more reliance on the rest of the team’s RB depth.

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Vikings, Becton

August 4th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The past few years in San Francisco have seen a procession of running back injuries. One such player who has been at the center of that issue the past two years is third-year back Elijah Mitchell. Unfortunately, Mitchell isn’t in quite in the clear going into Year 3 for the 49ers. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Mitchell has suffered an abductor strain that will hold him out for a bit.

Injuries have been a bit of an issue for Mitchell to start his career. While playing as an injury replacement in his rookie year for Raheem Mostert, Mitchell was forced to miss six games due to injury himself. Things went further downhill in his sophomore season as he suffered a sprained MCL in the first game of the season. He was able to return in mid-November, but by the time he was back, Christian McCaffrey had arrived and staked his claim atop the depth chart. Mitchell would only play in five games last year.

Now, for the first time in his career, Mitchell will not be expected to carry the weight at running back. With McCaffrey firmly leading the group, Mitchell should be able to take his time coming back from the strain. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Mitchell should be back “in a week.” While that’s an encouraging timeline to hear, Mitchell’s injury history warrants a bit of cautious optimism from fans.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • We saw Saints linebacker Andrew Dowell land on injured reserve earlier this week. Thanks to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, we now know that he was placed on the injured list after suffering a torn ACL. After only missing one game in the past two seasons, Dowell is now likely to miss the entire 2023 season.
  • Another player who unfortunately went down with a torn ACL this week is Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Lynch was a tied for the fourth-most snaps on the defensive line for Minnesota last year, a defensive line that is also playing without Dalvin Tomlinson this year. Lynch has missed games in each year of his young career, but 2023 will see him miss the entire season.
  • After only two years in the league, Seahawks edge rusher Darrell Taylor has already established himself as a main contributor on the Seattle defense with 16.0 sacks over his first two seasons. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Taylor showed up to practice on Thursday with his left arm in a sling. Head coach Pete Carroll informed the media that he was dealing with a sprained shoulder. A recovery timeline was not provided.
  • The Seahawks held a scrimmage tonight and saw two rookies sustain injuries in the simulated game. The team’s injury woes in the running backs room continue as rookie seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh suffered what Carroll is calling a sprained knee, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN. Luckily, they will be getting another rookie rusher back, as Carroll told the media that second-round rookie Zach Charbonnet will return “full-go” following the team’s off day tomorrow. The other rookie to go down with an injury was undrafted cornerback Andrew Whitaker. The diagnosis is unclear, but Whitaker was carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the contest, according to Condotta.
  • Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton missed the entire 2022 season after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right kneecap. The veteran made his return to the field in last night’s Hall of Fame game but left after only playing seven snaps. He reported today that, while he didn’t feel like there was any setback with his surgically repaired knee, he decided to be overly cautious with playing on turf, according to Andy Vasquez of NJ.com. In recent years, many non-contact injuries have been attributed to turf fields around the league. With this in mind, Becton got a good sense of where his knee was at and decided to work the rest out in practice. The team plans to test him more as camp progresses and the season draws nearer.

West Notes: 49ers, Hudson, Raiders, Broncos

January 27th, 2023 at 6:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers may go into the NFC championship game without Elijah Mitchell. The team’s Week 1 starter, who has become a key off-the-bench contributor behind Christian McCaffrey since the team acquired the high-priced back from the Panthers, is battling a groin injury and did not practice this week. Mitchell is listed as questionable to face the Eagles, but this is the latest in a long run of injuries for a second-year player. Mitchell went on IR twice because of separate MCL sprains this season and battled shoulder, knee and finger injuries as a rookie. Jordan Mason worked as McCaffrey’s primary backup during Mitchell’s second stint on IR, while the team also has rookie Tyrion Davis-Price and Tevin Coleman (practice squad) available. Coleman has logged 12 carries for 26 yards this season; Davis-Price has 34 for 99 as a rookie.

Here is the latest from the West divisions:

  • Rodney Hudson made it through just four games in his second Cardinals season, spending much of it on IR. The 33-year-old center signed an extension — three years, $30MM — with the Cards upon being acquired via trade in 2021, but a recent restructure points him out of town. Hudson agreed to drop his 2023 base salary from $8.25MM to $2.05MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This lends to the notion a new Cardinals regime will release Hudson, with OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald noting the $2.05MM figure doubles as the max amount a player can receive in 2023 via the CBA’s injury protection benefit (Twitter link). Hudson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders, considered retirement this past offseason and may be headed out the door in 2023. The Cards would be hit with $5MM-plus in dead money by cutting Hudson without a post-June 1 designation.
  • Shifting to the AFC West, the Raiders will spend the next several weeks being connected to quarterbacks. They are expected to trade or release Derek Carr before his $40.4MM guarantee vests Feb. 15, and Josh McDaniels reuniting with Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo is already coming up. Raiders GM Dave Ziegler was also impressed with Florida QB Anthony Richardson when he scouted him against Tennessee this past season, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock has Richardson going off the board at No. 9 — as the fourth QB selected — but the ex-Gator talent is fairly raw and will have more development to complete once in the pros. If the Raiders were to sign Brady, drafting a QB at No. 7 would obviously cut into their offseason resources to build around him. But Brady also would not solve the Silver and Black’s long-term need at the position.
  • Davante Adams was set to appear in court this week, in connection to the shoving incident at Arrowhead Stadium, but Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes the appearance will be delayed until June 26. Adams faces a suspension for the postgame shove of a photographer, a 20-year-old Missouri-Kansas City student, in October.
  • DeShawn Williams started a career-high 15 games for the Broncos this season, playing a career-most 597 defensive snaps. The 30-year-old defensive tackle, who is on track for free agency in March, said he wants to re-sign with the Broncos, via Denver7’s Troy Renck (Twitter link). Denver will prioritize a new deal with D-lineman Dre’Mont Jones, who sounded like he wanted to test the market, and has D.J. Jones signed through 2024. Williams, though, would not be especially expensive. Contributing regularly to a top-10 defense, Williams totaled 4.5 sacks this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/23

January 7th, 2023 at 4:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions heading into the final Sunday of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Promoted from practice squad: WR Josh Ali

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

49ers Will Activate RB Elijah Mitchell For Week 18

January 6th, 2023 at 9:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 6: The 49ers are set to get some depth help in the last week of the season as they are expected to activate Mitchell for Sunday’s regular season finale against the Cardinals, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. Mitchell will immediately return to his role as the primary backup running back behind McCaffrey.

With Samuel also expected to play this weekend, the San Francisco offense immediately becomes much more formidable, even if the team was able to thrive in the absence of two of their offensive stars from last season. Discounting the pair of quarterbacks on IR, the 49ers are becoming the picture of health on offense as they roll into the postseason.

JANUARY 4: For the second time this season, the 49ers designated Elijah Mitchell to return from IR. The second-year running back made his return to practice Wednesday.

Mitchell has gone through a complicated year, one filled with transactions and a notable role change. But the 49ers have made Mitchell’s return a priority to the point they have saved their final IR activation for their sixth-round find.

Entering the season as San Francisco’s starter, Mitchell did not make it through Week 1 unscathed. The Louisiana alum suffered a sprained MCL that ended up keeping him out two months. After that lengthy rehab odyssey, Mitchell returned to supplement new RB1 Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers’ McCaffrey-Mitchell plan was working, only Mitchell sustained a second MCL sprain that sidelined him to this point.

Mitchell faced a six- to eight-week timetable to return from his second MCL setback this year; it looks like he will hit the early part of that window. The 49ers took advantage of the NFL’s IR change this offseason, which allows teams to activate a player off the injured list twice.

Last season, Mitchell surprised most by becoming San Francisco’s go-to back. He leapfrogged third-round rookie Trey Sermon quickly and finished the season with 963 rushing yards and five touchdowns, doing so despite missing six games with an assortment of injuries. Mitchell’s early-career track record does not present much confidence he can stay healthy, but he has been effective when on the field this season. Mitchell is averaging 5.6 yards per carry in his sophomore slate.

A report last week indicated Michell and Deebo Samuel were on the verge of returning. Samuel, who is finishing off a recovery from an MCL sprain and an ankle injury, returned to practice last week but was held out. The 49ers did not place Samuel on IR, giving him the freedom to return at any point. Mitchell being activated would end Hassan Ridgeway‘s season. Ridgeway suffered a pectoral injury in December. The 49ers had used Ridgeway as a fill-in starter at defensive tackle but had held their final IR-return spot for Mitchell. Should the plan come to fruition, Mitchell will be the eighth and final 49er activated off IR in what has been another eventful season on the injury front for the team.

Samuel and Mitchell returning will obviously stand to help the 49ers, who can clinch the NFC’s No. 2 seed with a win over the Cardinals. San Francisco needs to win and Philadelphia to lose — to the Giants, who have nothing to play for, as they are locked into the No. 6 spot — to earn the No. 1 seed. But the two skill-position cogs being ready for the playoffs will be a boon for San Francisco’s Super Bowl hopes.

49ers Aiming To Have Deebo Samuel, Elijah Mitchell At Practice This Week

December 26th, 2022 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Shanahan offered a rare 49ers news development Monday: the team did not suffer a notable injury during its most recent game. In fact, the 49ers are hoping to have two of their key cogs back at practice soon.

Deebo Samuel has progressed to the point the team hopes he can practice as soon as this week, Shanahan said, and Elijah Mitchell is on track to make a quicker return from his second MCL sprain this year. The 49ers are eyeing a Friday practice for Mitchell, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch and ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter links).

MCL sprains have provided trouble for the 49ers this season. Mitchell, Samuel and a few others have missed time because of this injury. Mitchell missed eight games because of the knee malady he suffered in Week 1. This time around, the timetable may not be as lengthy. Mitchell, who has gone from Week 1 starter to an often-used Christian McCaffrey backup, went down against the Saints late last month and has missed the required four games.

The 49ers designating Mitchell for return Friday would mean they can activate him as soon as Week 17 — an unlikely scenario — or as late as the divisional round, provided the team reaches that point. Even if the 49ers hold off on Mitchell playing this week or next, it appears he will be ready to return when the team begins its postseason slate.

Shanahan confirmed what has long been reported Monday; San Francisco’s final IR-return spot is being earmarked for Mitchell. The second-year running back has already returned from IR once this season, but an offseason rule change allows for the same player to be activated two times in a season. The other 49ers option here would be defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway, but Wagoner adds (via Twitter) Mitchell is closer to returning. Ridgeway has missed the past three games with a pectoral injury.

The 49ers did not place Samuel on IR, keeping the door open for an immediate return. The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the past two games with an MCL sprain and a sprained ankle. The 49ers did not seem as concerned about Samuel’s status compared to the likes of Mitchell or Azeez Al-Shaair, who also suffered an MCL sprain that sidelined him several weeks, indicating the recently extended pass catcher could return before the regular season ended. Samuel has missed the past two games. While Samuel (840 scrimmage yards) is not on the same pace he was in 2021 (1,770), he is a rare weapon that will bolster the team’s chances of reaching a second Super Bowl in four seasons.

Football Outsiders gives the 49ers (11-4) a 30% chance of leapfrogging the Vikings (12-3) for the NFC’s No. 2 seed. The 49ers have clinched at least the NFC’s No. 3 seed, though the second spot would put the team in position to play two postseason home games. A 49ers-Vikings tie would give San Francisco the 2 seed due to a superior conference record. The 49ers close the season with games against the Raiders and Cardinals; the Vikes travel to Green Bay and Chicago.

Additionally, Shanahan said Jimmy Garoppolo had his cast removed from his broken foot. Garoppolo is not on IR, but the 49ers do not expect him to return this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/22

December 3rd, 2022 at 7:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the league’s minor transactions leading into the Sunday-slate of Week 13 games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

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