HEADLINES

Elijah Mitchell (RB)

Chiefs, RB Elijah Mitchell Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 11:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Known to be interested in making a free agent running back addition, the Chiefs have moved quickly in doing so. Elijah Mitchell has a one-year deal in place worth up to $3.5MM, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Kansas City is taking a flier on an injury-prone back, one who missed all of last season after San Francisco played the Christian McCaffrey backup on IR before setting its 53-man roster. Mitchell had previously sustained setbacks as a rookie and in 2022, when the 49ers used two IR activations on the sixth-round pick.

Mitchell memorably usurped Trey Sermon, a third-round pick presumed to be the 49ers’ lead back going into the 2021 season, ahead of his first game and led the ’21 49ers in rushing (963 yards). The mid-major product missed six games that season and 12 in 2022, going down with two MCL injuries in the latter season. When Mitchell returned from the first of those, the 49ers had traded for McCaffrey. As McCaffrey zoomed to the 2023 rushing title, Mitchell totaled 75 carries for 281 yards and two scores in 2023.

The Chiefs won a bet on a previous injury-prone 49ers castoff, seeing Jerick McKinnon shake off two full-season absences and play three years as a passing-down back alongside the likes of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco. Edwards-Helaire is now with the Saints, and Pacheco is coming off a season in which a broken leg slowed his momentum. Kareem Hunt, added in the wake of Pacheco’s leg break, is again a free agent.

Losing Samaje Perine to the Bengals on Monday, the Chiefs have only Pacheco and 2024 UDFA Carson Steele on the roster as RB holdovers. Mitchell, 27, will vie for a backup job, but the Chiefs should be expected to make another addition — perhaps in the draft — to round out their group.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

49ers Activate Talanoa Hufanga, Move Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two 49ers remain out out of the mix (but definitely not out of headlines, in Brandon Aiyuk‘s case), though both standouts are still employed by the team. Though, Trent Williams remains on the reserve/did not report list. Here is how the defending NFC champs pared their roster to 53 by today’s deadline:

Released:

Waived:

Activated from active/PUP list:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (return designation):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Hufanga’s status represents a positive development for a 49ers team in need of them. The All-Pro safety had been rumored to join Greenlaw on the reserve/PUP list. Avoiding it does not guarantee Hufanga will be ready for Week 1, but it keeps the fourth-year defender in the equation for the 49ers’ first four games. They are choosing to carry Hufanga on the 53-man roster and go week-to-week with him. This undoubtedly led to Walker being moved off the roster.

Conversely, Mitchell’s time with the team may be over. San Francisco surprised most by vaulting the 2021 sixth-round pick into a starting role to open that season, dropping Trey Sermon to a backup spot. Mitchell operated as San Francisco’s preferred starter — as long as he was healthy, which was sporadic — until the October 2022 Christian McCaffrey trade. The 49ers now have Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo as CMC backups.

A hamstring injury has sidelined Mitchell, potentially opening the door to an injury settlement. Davis will be able to return this season for the 49ers; Mitchell’s designation would prevent that. The 49ers are down to seven IR activations as a result of the Davis decision. A 2022 sixth-round pick, Davis remains in the team’s plans despite injuries largely keeping him out of action. Davis has played just three NFL games, and he suffered another injury — a knee issue requiring surgery — during camp.

The 49ers, who will bring many of these players back to the practice squad, cut two recent third-round picks — Gray and Latu. The latter has not played yet as a pro, missing his entire rookie season with an ACL tear. Gray has been unable to carve out a role on a 49ers team that has seen Jauan Jennings stick as the team’s WR3; rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing are also in the mix now.

Latest On 49ers’ RB Depth

June 15th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian McCaffrey‘s recent two-year extension with the 49ers all but assures that he’ll be on the roster through at least the 2026 season. However, there’s uncertainty surrounding the future of the team’s other RBs, and that likely influenced the front office’s approach to the offseason.

[RELATED: 49ers Extend RB Christian McCaffrey]

Elijah Mitchell (unrestricted) and Jordan Mason (restricted) are both set to hit free agency after the season. The duo’s expiring contracts ended up influencing the 49ers’ decision to trade up for fourth-round RB Isaac Guerendo and sign UDFA Cody Schrader, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

Mitchell once seemed poised to take over the starting RB gig in San Francisco, as he collected 1,100 yards from scrimmage as a rookie. However, injuries limited him to only 16 games across the past two years, and with McCaffrey leading the depth chart, Mitchell has compiled only 581 yards over that two-year span. Mason, meanwhile, has averaged 5.6 yards on his 83 carries, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the RB is a likely lock to make the 2024 squad.

Considering his draft status, Guerendo is also probably a lock to make the roster. After peaking with 500 yards at Wisconsin in 2022, the RB took it to another level at Louisville in 2023, collecting 1,044 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Schrader, a Missouri product, is probably destined for the practice squad, although he should be in line for a larger role in 2025. The odd man out in this equation would likely be Patrick Taylor, who got into 34 games with the Packers between 2021 and 2023.

While McCaffrey has been able to put together two-straight healthy seasons, the 49ers will surely be wary of his workload as he enters his age-28 season. With $24MM guaranteed over the next two seasons, the 49ers will want to be careful with their offensive star…which will put even more reliance on the rest of the team’s RB depth.

49ers CB Emmanuel Moseley To Miss “A Few Weeks”

December 6th, 2021 at 10:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The injuries keep piling up for the 49ers, and now one of their starting defensive backs will be sidelined for at least the next few games. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered a high ankle sprain and will miss “a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (on Twitter).

Moseley missed a pair of games to begin the year thanks to a knee injury, but he’s otherwise started all 10 games for San Francisco this season. The 25-year-old has been one of the team’s most reliable defensive backs, collecting 36 tackles and 10 passes defended. He was limited to only nine defensive snaps before exiting yesterday’s loss to the Seahawks. Rookie fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir saw the bulk of the snaps in Moseley’s stead, but he was eventually replaced by Dontae Johnson. The team is also rostering third-round rookie Ambry Thomas.

More injury updates out of San Francisco: running back Elijah Mitchell is in concussion protocol after suffering symptoms this morning. The rookie standout briefly exited yesterday’s game before returning, and he finished the day with 84 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Mitchell has been the team’s leading back this season, and the 49ers might have to turn to Jeff Wilson if starter is forced to miss any time.

There was a scary moment for the 49ers yesterday, when running back Trenton Cannon was forced to go to the hospital after suffering a concussion (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic on Twitter). While Cannon is in concussion protocol, the running back has been released from the hospital and is heading back to San Francisco, per Wagoner. The 27-year-old has spent the majority of his time on special teams this season, and he’s returned 16 kicks for San Francisco.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell Suffered Finger Fracture

November 16th, 2021 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Elijah Mitchell went under the knife today, but there’s still hope that he’ll play this weekend. Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the 49ers running back underwent surgery today on a finger fracture, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).

The team is hoping Mitchell will be able to return to practice as soon as tomorrow, and the 49ers have similar hopes that he’ll be on the field Sunday against the Jaguars. We’ll presumably get more information on his status for Week 11 in a few days.

The sixth-round rookie has been incredibly productive this season, leading his squad with 560 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 116 carries. Mitchell missed a pair of games earlier this season thanks to a shoulder injury, but he’s otherwise started the last five games for San Francisco.

If Mitchell is forced to miss another game, the team could turn to Jeff Wilson, who recently made his season debut after recovering from an ankle injury. Rookie Trey Sermon could also be an option, but the third-round pick hasn’t seen the field in weeks.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21

May 13th, 2021 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s late round signings:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • DT Alim McNeill (third round; North Carolina State)

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team