Forgotten 49ers running back signs with Chiefs to resurrect career

Remember Elijah Mitchell? The oft-injured running back is leaving the 49ers to join the Chiefs in free agency.

Aside from a major whiff atop the 2021 NFL Draft (quarterback Trey Lance), the bulk of that year's rookie class ended up providing some substantial thump for the San Francisco 49ers over the last four seasons.

One of the hidden gems from that year's rookie class was running back Elijah Mitchell, a sixth-round addition out of Louisiana who set a franchise record for most rushing yards by a first-year player with 963 over 11 games played.

Of course, that campaign was marked by injuries, yet there was hope a fully healthy Mitchell could be a workhorse tailback for a budding Niners offense.

Well, not so much.

Mitchell missed the bulk of 2022, appearing in only five games, and then managed to play in just 11 games the following season, used largely as a backup to All-Pro tailback Christian McCaffrey.

One could have argued San Francisco went after McCaffrey in 2022, thanks largely to the injury inconsistencies Mitchell had.

Oh, and Mitchell suffered hamstring issues out of training camp in 2024, effectively ending his time in the Bay Area.

Elijah Mitchell hopes free-agent deal with Chiefs can resurrect his career

It might have been a foregone conclusion the 49ers were going to let Mitchell walk when free agency opened up in 2025.

All speculation of this was confirmed when news broke he'd be inking a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:

According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, the deal is worth up to $3.5 million.

When healthy, Mitchell's explosiveness can be an X-factor. But those injuries have been a problem and could easily plague Kansas City unless it has solid contingency plans in place.

As for Mitchell, his mere hope is to stay healthy and contribute, something he was largely unable to do for significant chunks of time in the Bay Area.

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