Former San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell is looking for another route back into the NFL.
Mitchell was among seven free agents who worked out for the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, September 30, according to the NFL transaction wire. The group also included running backs Ulysses Bentley IV and Hassan Haskins, along with Vincent Anthony, Jesse Luketa, David Ojabo and Julian Okwara.
As of Wednesday night, New Orleans had not announced a deal with Mitchell, and no subsequent signing involving the former 49ers starter surfaced on the team’s transaction log.
Still, the workout gives Mitchell another opportunity after a winding stretch since his four-year run in San Francisco ended.
Elijah Mitchell Continues Search for NFL Comeback
Mitchell has bounced through several organizations since leaving the 49ers following the 2024 season.
He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent in 2025 but appeared in only one regular-season game before being released in December. New England added Mitchell to its practice squad three days later and later brought him back on a futures contract in February 2026.
That stay did not last, either. The Patriots released Mitchell on April 28.
Philadelphia then gave Mitchell another opportunity after he participated in the Eagles‘ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Unlike the Saints situation — at least so far — that audition resulted in a contract, with Philadelphia officially signing Mitchell in June.
His Eagles stint ended before the regular season. Philadelphia placed Mitchell on injured reserve on August 10, and transaction records show him coming off IR and being released the following day.
Now New Orleans is taking a look.
Mitchell Once Emerged as 49ers’ Surprise Starting RB
Mitchell’s recent travels are a sharp contrast from the start of his NFL career.
San Francisco selected him with the No. 194 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Louisiana.
He quickly became one of that draft’s biggest immediate contributors.
Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five touchdowns on 207 carries as a rookie, establishing himself as San Francisco’s lead back despite entering the league as a Day 3 selection. He added another 169 rushing yards during the 49ers’ postseason run that year.
In all, Mitchell recorded 1,523 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 327 attempts across 28 regular-season games for San Francisco, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Injuries repeatedly interrupted his momentum, however. Mitchell eventually moved into a complementary role after the 49ers acquired Christian McCaffrey and missed the entire 2024 season with a hamstring injury before departing in free agency.
The Saints workout does not guarantee Mitchell another contract. New Orleans brought in three running backs Wednesday, suggesting the team was surveying multiple options rather than targeting one specific player.
But for Mitchell, now 28, it represents another chance to extend a career that once began with him going from sixth-round afterthought to a 963-yard starter in San Francisco.
Former 49ers Starting RB Gets Tryout With Saints