The Kansas City Chiefs have gone about addressing their free agent needs as the new league edges closer.
The left tackle position has been filled, with San Francisco 49ers’ tackle Jaylon Moore coming to Kansas City to be Patrick Mahomes’ blindside protector, and the Chiefs didn’t stop there raiding the 49ers.
Running back Elijah Mitchell has joined the AFC champs on a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
We posed the question a couple of days ago how the Chiefs would approach the running back position with Isiah Pacheco not looking the same after coming back from injury, and Kareem Hunt a free agent. Well, now it is Mitchell who comes to Kansas City.
Injuries have played their role in Mitchell seemingly falling off the planet, with just 27 games in three seasons, so too the arrival of Christian McCaffrey. But when healthy, Elijah was a force on the ground.
In his rookie season, Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five touchdowns from just 11 games, but injuries over the last two years have seen him total under 300 yards and two touchdowns in each season.
He now joins Andy Reid in Kansas City as he looks to have a bounce-back year.
Mahomes now has a decent one-two punch out of the backfield with Pacheco the bruising runner and Mitchell, the lightning-quick change-up, and let’s not forget, Elijah ran a 4.35 at his Pro Day, so the speed is there.
Exactly how Reid and Co. will use Mitchell is unknown, but he is also a solid option in the pass game as we know Mahomes likes to utilize his running backs as passing options.
It isn’t a move that will be met with huge applause, but it is a solid piece of business as the franchise will look to get the best out of what could be a very explosive back if he gets over his injury troubles.