Former 49ers leading rusher released by New England Patriots

TL;DR

Elijah Mitchell, former leading rusher for the San Francisco 49ers, has been released by the New England Patriots. This marks his second release in four months after a challenging career plagued by injuries.

Key points

Elijah Mitchell was released by the New England Patriots.
This is his second release in four months.
He previously signed with the Kansas City Chiefs but was released after one game.
Mitchell led the 49ers in rushing yards during his rookie season.
Injuries have significantly impacted his career since 2021.

Elijah MitchellSan Francisco 49ersKansas City ChiefsNew England Patriots

Former San Francisco 49ers leading rusher Elijah Mitchell has been released by the New England Patriots according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The release is the second for Mitchell in the last four months. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency last offseason and appeared in only one game before being released in December. He landed with the New England Patriots practice squad and signed a reserve/future deal with the team before being released Tuesday.

Mitchell, a soon-to-be 28-year-old has had a tumultuous career since leading San Francisco in rushing yards during his rookie season in 2021. That year Mitchell put up a career-best 963 rushing yards in 11 games in place of injured running back Raheem Mostert.

It looked like Mitchell, a sixth-round pick, would be the next great late-round RB in a Shanahan offense. Then the injuries kept coming. After being limited to only 11 games in his first year, he played in just five games in 2022 and 11 games in 2023 before missing the entire 2024 season with a hamstring injury he suffered in training camp.

Mitchell has played in just 28 games with 12 starts since entering the league six seasons ago. He logged 1,523 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 327 carries, good for a very respectable 4.7 yards-per-carry average.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Former standout 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell released by Patriots

Q&A

Why was Elijah Mitchell released by the New England Patriots?

Elijah Mitchell was released by the New England Patriots after a brief stint on their practice squad and following a series of injuries that limited his performance.

What teams has Elijah Mitchell played for in the NFL?

Elijah Mitchell has played for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots during his NFL career.

What were Elijah Mitchell's rushing stats during his rookie season?

During his rookie season in 2021, Elijah Mitchell rushed for a career-best 963 yards in 11 games.