The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t over-extend themselves or add star power in free agency this year, but filled needs with bargain selections.
One such move was to add some speed and much-needed juice to their run game with Elijah Mitchell. After playing three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Mitchell now comes to the AFC Champs after missing the entire 2024 season through injury.
With Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs had the 26th-ranked run game in football last season (101.2 yards per game) and lacked an explosive element out of the backfield – that could be Mitchell.
However, for him to be that, as general manager Brett Veach points out, he has to be healthy.
“This kid’s still young, and although he’s battled a lot of injuries, we’ve always liked the tape,” Veach said. “We’ve always liked the person, great kid, he’s explosive, he has great hands, and I’m sure you’ve even heard Kyle Shanahan talk about, when he’s healthy, how good he is, and I think it’s no secret with him that he’s got to stay healthy.”
Perhaps the most critical element for the Chiefs is getting Mitchell on the field for OTAs and the offseason program and keeping him there.
We have seen what he can do when healthy, as his 963 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season can attest to, but the injuries over the past couple of seasons have seen his career trajectory take an almighty nose dive.
But in Kansas City, Elijah will look to bounce back in a way that shows the NFL world there’s plenty of juice in the tank and that his injury troubles are behind him.
However, to do that, he needs a clean bill of health, as the most important ability is availability.
