The New England Patriots have had a suspect backfield this season, with inconsistent play and injuries throughout. Rhamondre Stevenson's early fumbling issues were a continuation of his 2024 woes, while TreVeyon Henderson struggled with consistent running in the first half of the year.
When Stevenson went down with an injury, Terrell Jennings stepped in and was an effective short-yardage back, but he was later placed on IR.
Henderson has become the starter over the past few weeks, but he left Sunday night's matchup against the Ravens and is now in concussion protocol. It's unclear if he'll be ready to play on Sunday against the Jets. To negate any depth issues at the running back position, the Patriots inked Elijah Mitchell to the practice squad on Tuesday.
While most late-season practice-squad additions don't tend to be anything to watch, Mitchell has had legitimate NFL success. A sixth-round pick in 2021 by the 49ers, Mitchell was a very effective collegiate player at Louisiana.
He ran the ball 484 times for 3,002 yards and 37 touchdowns during his final three years, averaging 6.2 yards per carry across his four years in Lafayette. He also had 46 catches through his final three years, demonstrating his three-down ability.
Elijah Mitchell has proven NFL success that adds key depth to the Patriots' backfield
Mitchell's collegiate success carried into his rookie year with San Francisco. In his 11 games, he took 207 carries for 963 yards and 5 touchdowns. That comes out to 87.5 yards per game, or roughly a 1,500-yard pace.
After an MCL sprain landed him on IR for the beginning of the 2022 season, and an MCL tear later in the year ended his year, he would play just 5 games during his sophomore campaign. He remained effective in a more limited role, however, averaging 6.2 yards per carry and 55.8 yards per game.
Elijah Mitchell was on a 1,500 yard pace during his rookie year, totaling 963 yards in 11 games. Four years later, he finds himself on the Patriots' practice squad. #Patriots
— Graham Wilker (@GrahamWilker1) December 25, 2025
Mitchell's average would plummet to under four yards a carry the next season, and a hamstring injury ended his 2024 before it began. He signed with the Chiefs this offseason, taking 10 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown in preseason. He played only seven snaps during the regular season and went without a carry before being released on December 20.
Mitchell's last two years have been some to forget, but that doesn't mean he can't contribute in New England. Henderson's health is in doubt, and Stevenson has been most effective as a rotational back.
Jennings was placed on IR earlier this month, and D'Ernest Johnson's four carries have garnered only 7 yards. Mitchell may be the best RB3 option New England has, and with Henderson potentially missing time, he could receive carries sooner than we think.
The Patriots' practice squad also features 25-year-old Jashaun Corbin, who has one career carry. Mitchell's addition to the practice squad offers further depth to a backfield that has been the victim of injuries, fumbling issues, and general inconsistency all year, and he could alleviate some of those issues.