Elijah Mitchell

Last updated

Elijah Mitchell
No. 25 – Kansas City Chiefs
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1998-05-02) May 2, 1998 (age 27)
Erath, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school: Erath
College: Louisiana (2017–2020)
NFL draft: 2021: 6th round, 194th pick
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-Sun Belt (2020)
  • 2× Second-team All-Sun Belt (2018, 2019)
  • First Responder Bowl MVP (2020)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Rushing yards:1,523
Rushing average:4.7
Rushing touchdowns:9
Receptions:28
Receiving yards:158
Receiving touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Elijah I. Mitchell (born May 2, 1998) is an American professional football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life

Mitchell grew up in Erath, Louisiana and attended Erath High School, where he played high school football. As a senior, Mitchell only played in eight games due to injury but still rushed for 1,903 yards and 28 touchdowns. [1] In three seasons as Erath's starting running back, he rushed for 4,045 yards and 50 touchdowns on 457 carries. [2]

College career

Mitchell played college football for his home state of Louisiana at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Mitchell had 42 carries for 257 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman before breaking a bone in his foot and missing the rest of the season. [3] [4]

As a sophomore, Mitchell had 146 carries for 985 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 20 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns. He was named Second-team All-Sun Belt Conference. [5]

As a junior, Mitchell was again named second-team All-Sun Belt after recording 198 carries for 1,147 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with 10 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. [6]

In his final season with the Cajuns, Mitchell was once again the team’s leading running back and was named first-team All-Sun Belt after recording 141 carries for 878 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 16 receptions for 153 yards. [7] [8]

Mitchell finished his collegiate career with 527 carries for 3,267 yards and 41 touchdowns to go along with 49 receptions for 597 yards and five touchdowns. [9]

College statistics

YearGRushingReceiving
AttYdsAvgTDRecYdsAvgTD
20175422576.143258.31
2018131469856.7132034917.53
2019141981,1475.81610707.01
2020101418786.28161539.60
Career 425273,2676.2414959712.25

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+1⁄4 in
(1.78 m)		201 lb
(91 kg)		31 in
(0.79 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		4.35 s1.51 s2.44 s4.20 s6.94 s37.5 in
(0.95 m)		10 ft 8 in
(3.25 m)		17 reps
All values from Pro Day [10] [11]

San Francisco 49ers

2021 season

Mitchell was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round, 194th overall, of the 2021 NFL draft. [12] He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021. [13]

Mitchell made his NFL debut in the season-opening 41–33 road victory over the Detroit Lions, finishing with 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown. [14] During a Week 7 30–18 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he had 18 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. [15] In the next game against the Chicago Bears, Mitchell rushed 18 times for 137 yards and a touchdown in the 33–22 road victory. [16] During a Week 12 34–26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, he recorded 27 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. [17] During a Week 17 23–7 victory over the Houston Texans, Mitchell had 21 carries for 119 yards to go along with two receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown. [18] He also broke the 49ers' single-season rookie rushing record, rushing for 878 yards in 10 games and surpassing Vic Washington's record 811 yards in 14 games from the 1971 season. [19]

Mitchell finished his rookie year with 207 carries for 963 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 19 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown in 11 games and 10 starts. [20] During the Wild Card Round against the Dallas Cowboys, he had 27 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown in the 23–17 road victory. [21] In the Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers, Mitchell had 17 carries for 53 yards during the 13–10 road victory. [22] During the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded three receptions for 50 yards in the 20–17 loss. [23]

2022 season

On September 13, 2022, Mitchell was placed on injured reserve after suffering a sprained MCL in Week 1. [24] He was activated on November 12. [25] Mitchell suffered an MCL tear in Week 12 and was placed on injured reserve on December 3. [26] He was activated on January 7, 2023. [27]

In the 2022 season, Mitchell appeared in five games (one start) and had 45 carries for 279 yards and two touchdowns, which both came in the regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. [28] He finished the 38–13 victory with five carries for 55 yards and the two aforementioned touchdowns. [29]

During the Wild Card Round against the Seattle Seahawks, Mitchell recorded two receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown in the 41–23 victory. [30] In the Divisional Round against the Cowboys, he had 14 carries for 51 yards during the 19–12 victory. [31]

2023 season

In the 2023 season, Mitchell appeared in 11 games (one start) and recorded 75 carries for 281 yards and two touchdowns, both coming in the last two weeks of the regular season. [32]

During the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, Mitchell had four carries for seven yards and a touchdown in the 34–31 comeback victory to help the 49ers reach Super Bowl LVIII. [33] In the Super Bowl, he rushed twice for eight yards during the 25–22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. [34]

2024 season

Mitchell suffered a hamstring injury and was put on season-ending injured reserve on August 27, 2024. [35] [36]

Kansas City Chiefs

On March 13, 2025, Mitchell signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. [37] [38]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGamesRushingReceivingFumbles
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2021 SF 11102079634.7395191377.214100
2022 SF 51452795.6192372.35000
2023 SF 111752813.71826142.39000
2024 SF 00Did not play due to injury
Career 27123271,5234.7399281585.614100

Postseason

YearTeamGamesRushingReceivingFumbles
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2021 SF 32551693.11617578.121000
2022 SF 2023532.313022512.518100
2023 SF 306152.571000.00000
Career 82842372.81629829.118100

References

  1. ↑ Peloquin, Steve (September 22, 2020). "UL's Elijah Mitchell Named Senior of the Week". Sports Radio ESPN 1420. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  2. ↑ Labat, Trey (July 19, 2016). "Erath's Elijah Mitchell commits to Cajuns". The Daily Advertiser . Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  3. ↑ Buckley, Tim (August 12, 2018). "Not rushed to return, UL's Mitchell is running well now". The Daily Advertiser . Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ McDonald, Dan (August 18, 2018). "Healthy Mitchell ready to run for Cajuns". The Advocate . Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ Medina, Daniella (September 8, 2020). "Elijah Mitchell: 5 things to know about the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football running back". The Daily Advertiser . Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  6. ↑ DiCecco, Andrew (September 24, 2020). "Ragin' Cajun RB Elijah Mitchell leading the way for Louisiana". Pro Football Network. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ Peloquin, Steve (October 13, 2020). "UL's Elijah Mitchell Listed as Top 15 RB For 2021 NFL Draft". Sports Radio ESPN 1420. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ "2020 Sun Belt Football Postseason Awards Announced". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Elijah Mitchell College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". Sports Reference . Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Elijah Mitchell Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana, RB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  12. ↑ Espinoza, Alex (May 1, 2021). "49ers add another RB, take Mitchell with last pick at No. 194". RSN. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ Links, Zachary (May 13, 2021). "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  14. ↑ Madson, Kyle (September 14, 2021). "49ers rookie RB Elijah Mitchell a secret superstar in Week 1". Niners Wire. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers - October 24th, 2021". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  16. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears - October 31st, 2021". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers - November 28th, 2021". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers - January 2nd, 2022". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  19. ↑ McDonald, Briana (January 2, 2022). "Elijah Mitchell Sets Franchise Record in Explosive Win Over Texans". 49ers.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Elijah Mitchell 2021 Game Log". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Wild Card - San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys - January 16th, 2022". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Wild Card - San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers - January 16th, 2022". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  23. ↑ "NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams - January 30th, 2022". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Elijah Mitchell Placed on Injured Reserve and Other Roster Moves". 49ers.com. September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  25. ↑ "49ers Activate Four Players From Injured Reserve; Place Verrett on IR". 49ers.com. November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  26. ↑ Posey, Kyle (December 3, 2022). "49ers place RB Elijah Mitchell on the injured reserve with a knee injury". Niners Nation. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  27. ↑ "49ers Activate RB Elijah Mitchell from the Injured Reserve List". 49ers.com. January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Elijah Mitchell 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers - January 8th, 2023". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Wild Card - Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers - January 14th, 2023". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Divisional Round - Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - January 22nd, 2023". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Elijah Mitchell 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  33. ↑ "NFC Championship - Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers - January 28th, 2024". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Super Bowl LVIII - San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs - February 11th, 2024". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  35. ↑ Wagoner, Nick (August 27, 2024). "San Francisco 49ers put RB Elijah Mitchell on IR, out for season". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  36. ↑ "49ers Announce Moves for Initial 53-Man Roster of 2024". 49ers.com. August 27, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Chiefs to sign ex-49ers RB Elijah Mitchell, source says". ESPN. March 10, 2025.
  38. ↑ McMullen, Matt (March 13, 2025). "Five Things to Know About New Chiefs RB Elijah Mitchell". Kansas City Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs made an addition to their backfield on Thursday by signing free agent tailback Elijah Mitchell.
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