After a brief and largely under-the-radar stint under Andy Reid in Kansas City, a former Chiefs running back is getting another opportunity, this time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He barely saw the field last season, appearing in just one game, so this really feels like a clean slate for him. Right now, he’s on the Eagles’ minicamp roster, looking to show he still has something to offer. He’s not alone in that effort either, as veteran running back Khalil Herbert is also in camp on a tryout, competing for a potential spot.
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“RBs Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Herbert trying out at Eagles rookie minicamp,” Pro Football Talk posted on X.
Khalil Herbert hasn’t really been in the spotlight over the past couple of seasons. During his four years in Chicago, he started 12 games and, at one point, looked set to take over as the lead back after David Montgomery left.
Now, the former sixth-round pick from 2021 has another shot as he tries out with the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie minicamp. That said, earning a roster spot won’t be easy. Philadelphia already has a crowded backfield with Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley leading the group.
RBs Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Herbert trying out at Eagles rookie minicamp. nbcsports.com/nfl/profootbal…
As for Mitchell, he arrives in Philadelphia after a busy stretch of roster moves. The New England Patriots released him not long after signing him to a futures deal in February. Before that, he had a short and quiet stint with the Chiefs, where things never really worked out.
It is definitely not like how he started his career. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. In his first game against the Detroit Lions, he ran for 104 yards and scored a touchdown. As a rookie, he stepped in for the injured Raheem Mostert and finished with 963 rushing yards in just 11 games.
Overall, he put up more than 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns that season. Since then, though, injuries have slowed him down. From 2022 to 2024, Mitchell struggled to stay on the field.
The Chiefs took a chance on him last offseason, signing him to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million to help their backfield. After the Week 9 game in Buffalo last season, many questioned why the Chiefs promoted Clyde Edwards-Helaire rather than activating Elijah Mitchell to replace Isiah Pacheco.
For Andy Reid, it was simple; it came down to pass protection.
“We really like Elijah, obviously, or he wouldn’t be here,” Reid said. “I think that makes a big statement there. But Clyde knows all the protections. Not only does he know it, but he’s done it. So we’ve seen him do it — and there’s a comfort there. It’s not that Elijah doesn’t — he’s a very sharp kid — but we’ve seen our guy do it. That was the only reason why.”
Notably, Elijah appeared in just one game and didn’t make much of an impact before being released in December by the Chiefs. His exit also opened the door for Kansas City to take a look at Dameon Pierce.
Last season, Mitchell spent most of his time moving between the Chiefs and Patriots practice squads. The Patriots eventually released him again in April 2026. Across 28 career games, he has rushed for over 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns.
Now, he is trying once more to find a place in the league.
Elijah Mitchell has had a challenging run in his career so far
After a strong 2021 season, Elijah Mitchell looked like a rising 1,000-yard rusher. But things have not been easy for him since then, as injuries and limited opportunities made it tough to hold his place in the league.
In 2021, under Kyle Shanahan, he made an immediate impact. However, his momentum took a hit in 2022 when he suffered an MCL injury and was placed on injured reserve, limiting him to just five games.
From there, his role started to shrink. In 2023, he played 11 games but was not used as much.
Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Mitchell had only 120 rushing attempts. Even though he averaged a solid 4.7 yards per carry, he was getting only about eight touches per game. Then came another setback in 2024. Mitchell suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason that ruled him out for the entire year. Since then, he has mostly been trying to stay afloat, spending time on the practice squads of the Chiefs and the Patriots.
Now, Mitchell is with the Eagles in their rookie minicamp, trying to earn a spot after playing just one NFL game over the past two seasons. He just needs to show he can stay healthy and still contribute if he wants another real chance in the league.
