Erath High grad Elijah Mitchell signs football contract to play for Kansas City Chiefs

Fans of Elijah Mitchell will need to buy a new football jersey when the 2025 NFL season starts in September.
On Monday, Mitchell, a 2020 Erath High graduate, signed a free agency one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. His one-year salary will be $3.5 million.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ quick work in free agency continued in the legal tampering window provided by the NFL with the news that the team had signed Elijah Mitchell to a one-year deal.
Mitchell was the sixth-round choice of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft. 
The Chiefs concentrated on rebuilding their backfield during the offseason. They had previously relied on Isiah Pacheco, who has faced injuries, and veteran running backs Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine. Both Hunt and Perine are 30 years old and are set to become free agents, although the team might choose to re-sign one of them.
Mitchell missed the entire 2024 season on injured reserve for the 49ers with a hamstring. MCL injuries robbed him of a few games during his rookie year in 2021, and myriad injuries have limited him to just over 240 offensive snaps over the last three full NFL seasons.
In 2024, the 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII but lost 25-22 to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the Super Bowl, Mitchell had 2 carries for 8 yards and scored a touchdown against the Chiefs.
In three seasons as a running back for Erath, he rushed for 4,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,900 yards and 28 touchdowns. 
After high school, he signed with UL-Lafayette. Mitchell played in 42 games and carried the ball 527 times in college for 3,267 yards and 41 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 49 passes for 597 yards and five touchdowns.