The Kansas City Chiefs’ running back room is delicately poised after Kareem Hunt re-signed on a one-year deal to partner with Isiah Pacheco, while the franchise brought in Elijah Mitchell after the former San Francisco 49ers starter missed all of 2024 with an injury.

Mitchell’s one-year deal is likely a prove-it one, and having missed the entire 2024 season, Elijah has a lot riding on 2025.

His rookie season in 2021 was superb, as Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five touchdowns, but since then, just 16 games and two starts have seen his career trajectory stall.

So, what is stopping him from having a bounce-back year with the Chiefs? If he can, stay out of the treatment room.

“Mitchell, dealing with a hamstring injury early in the 2024 campaign, was placed on injured reserve by the 49ers without a designation to return, resulting in the running back missing the entirety of the season,” Pro Football Focus writes. “The Chiefs needed to fill in the backfield depth behind Isiah Pacheco with the departure of Kareem Hunt this offseason. Mitchell has been seldom utilized over the past three seasons but consistently produces PFF rushing grades exceeding 70.0 when healthy.”

The biggest thing for the Chiefs is to get a healthy Mitchell for Week 1.

With Hunt and Pacheco, the bruising runners who can wear down a defense, and with Mitchell, he offers a lightning-quick change-up and is a potential home-run threat.

But he can only become that if he stays out of the treatment room, and this is why such a premium will be placed on Elijah’s being present and participating in all of the offseason activities, from OTAs to training camp.

He has missed a lot of football, and things won’t just come back straight away; it must be worked at.

And if Mitchell has any chance of making 2025 his bounce-back year, he must get on the field and stay there.