Former San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell is back on the market.
The New England Patriots announced on April 28 that they released Mitchell, ending his short offseason stay with the team before spring practices fully ramp up. Mitchell, 27, had signed a reserve/futures contract with New England in February after a late-season practice squad stint.
For 49ers fans, the transaction lands as more than a random AFC roster move. Mitchell was once one of the best late-round finds of the Kyle Shanahan era, a sixth-round pick who quickly became San Francisco’s lead back as a rookie. Now he is available again at a time when the 49ers have rebuilt the position around Christian McCaffrey and a new wave of younger options.
Elijah Mitchell’s 49ers Run Changed Fast
Mitchell entered the NFL as the No. 194 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Louisiana, and his rookie season quickly made that selection look like a steal. The Patriots noted in their official release that Mitchell was drafted by San Francisco in the sixth round and spent four seasons with the 49ers before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.
At his best, Mitchell gave Shanahan exactly what the 49ers want from their running backs: decisive one-cut running, downhill burst and enough toughness to handle early-down work.
The problem was availability. Mitchell’s 49ers tenure became defined by flashes of high-end production followed by injuries that interrupted his role. By the time San Francisco’s backfield fully shifted to McCaffrey, Mitchell had gone from promising starter to valuable insurance option.
His post-49ers path has been even less stable. Mitchell signed with Kansas City as an unrestricted free agent in the 2025 offseason, played in one game for the Chiefs, was released in December, then landed with New England’s practice squad before signing the futures deal that ended with this week’s release.
A 49ers Reunion Would Be Complicated
The obvious fan question is whether the 49ers should consider bringing Mitchell back.
A reunion would be familiar, inexpensive and easy to understand on paper. Mitchell knows the system. Shanahan knows what he can do when healthy. And San Francisco has often churned the bottom of its running back room looking for injury insurance and camp competition.
But the 49ers have already invested in other answers.
Christian McCaffrey remains the clear centerpiece, and San Francisco used a third-round pick on Indiana running back Kaelon Black in the 2026 NFL Draft. Black joined a backfield that already included Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr., giving the 49ers a crowded group before any veteran reunion would be considered.
That makes Mitchell less of an obvious 49ers target and more of a reminder of how quickly running back depth charts turn over. The same team that found Mitchell in the sixth round has kept taking swings at the position, including James in 2025, Guerendo in 2024 and Black in 2026.
Mitchell’s Release Still Matters for San Francisco’s Backfield Picture
Mitchell’s availability also comes as the 49ers continue trying to manage McCaffrey’s workload.
NBC Sports Bay Area noted after the Black pick that Shanahan wanted more help around McCaffrey so the 49ers could run the way they want while keeping their star back effective across a long season. Black’s arrival was a clear signal that San Francisco did not want to enter 2026 leaning only on unproven backup options.
That is where Mitchell’s name still carries meaning for 49ers fans. He is not the same ascending player he was in 2021, and his recent transaction history shows he may have to fight for another NFL opportunity. But he also represents a type of back Shanahan has trusted before.
The 49ers’ current room is deeper than it was when Mitchell first broke through, but it is not settled behind McCaffrey. Black has draft capital. James and Guerendo have athletic traits. Taylor brings veteran depth. Sincere McCormick also reportedly joined San Francisco after the draft, adding another body to the competition.
Mitchell would not walk back into that room as a guaranteed roster player. He would be competing for the same bottom-of-the-depth-chart role every other non-McCaffrey back has to earn.
Still, his release is worth tracking because San Francisco’s running back plans rarely stay static. Injuries, camp performance and special teams value can reshape the room quickly. Mitchell’s 49ers chapter may already be closed, but his sudden availability puts a familiar name back into the offseason pool just as Shanahan’s latest backfield competition begins.
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