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Former Chiefs running back with 963 rushing yards quickly joins an AFC playoff contender after being unexpectedly cut by Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs officially ended their experiment with running back Elijah Mitchell ahead of the NFL’s Week 16 Sunday slate, and it didn’t take long for him to land elsewhere. According to insider Tom Pelissero, the New England Patriots signed Mitchell to their practice squad on December 23.

“The Patriots signed veteran RB Elijah Mitchell to the practice squad,” Pelissero reported. With that move, the door is effectively closed on any potential reunion between Mitchell and Kansas City later this season.

The signing comes amid a noticeable shift in the AFC landscape. While perennial contenders such as the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals have struggled to find consistency in 2025, New England has surged into the conference’s top tier under a new head coach and a promising young quarterback.

Mitchell’s move to the Patriots reflects a familiar NFL pattern. When Kansas City moves on from veterans who fail to meet expectations, those players often seek opportunities with teams still firmly in the Super Bowl hunt. New England, at this point in the season, fits that description.
Chiefs' lack of practice squad elevations signals RB Elijah Mitchell will  make 2025 NFL season debut vs. Broncos in Week 11 - A to Z Sports

From the beginning, the Mitchell signing never truly made sense for the Chiefs. Kansas City’s disappointing 2025 campaign is not the result of bad luck, but rather a series of questionable roster decisions. Among the most glaring issues was a running back room in desperate need of reinforcement.

Entering an NFL Draft loaded with running back talent, many expected general manager Brett Veach to select a difference-maker in the second or third round. The Chiefs also had opportunities to sign proven veterans such as Javonte Williams or JK Dobbins for modest contracts. Instead, Kansas City re-signed Kareem Hunt, added Mitchell, and spent a seventh-round pick on pass-catching back Brashard Smith.

The results were underwhelming across the board. Mitchell failed to show much explosiveness during the preseason and quickly fell out of favor once the regular season began. He was frequently listed as a healthy scratch and rarely factored into game plans.

In total, Mitchell played just seven offensive snaps for Kansas City before being released. He did not record a single carry or reception during his brief tenure with the team, cementing the signing as a clear failure.

Looking ahead, the Chiefs will have a chance to correct course in 2026. Both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are set to become free agents, making a full reset at the position increasingly likely. Kansas City will have options through the draft or the veteran market, but the lesson from the Mitchell experiment is clear.

If the Chiefs intend to reestablish themselves as championship contenders, upgrading the RB1 position is no longer optional. This time, there can be no hesitation.

Just Three Hours After Being Released by the Packers, 2× Pro Bowl Star Deletes Every Post About Green Bay After His Attempt to Take a Pay Cut to Stay Was Rejected — His Vow Never to Return Leaves Packers Nation in Sympathy
Green Bay, Wisconsin – The offseason took an emotional turn for the Green Bay Packers when the organization decided to release veteran offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins as part of a salary-cap adjustment. But what happened just hours later turned the situation into one of the most emotional storylines of the week across the NFL. According to multiple reports, Jenkins — a two-time Pro Bowl selection and former All-Pro honoree — had attempted to negotiate with the team and even offered to take a pay cut in order to remain with the franchise that originally drafted him. The effort ultimately fell short as Green Bay chose to move forward with a roster reset, clearing nearly $20 million in cap space for the 2026 season. Just three hours after the release became official, fans began noticing something unusual on Jenkins’ social media accounts. Every post connected to his years in Green Bay — from locker room celebrations to photos wearing the iconic green-and-gold uniform — had quietly disappeared. Jenkins had been one of the pillars of the Packers’ offensive line since being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. Throughout multiple seasons, he built a reputation for rare versatility, capable of playing guard, tackle, and center at an elite level, and was widely regarded as one of the most reliable and flexible offensive linemen in the league. At his peak, Jenkins was often described as Green Bay’s “secret weapon” on the offensive front. He protected multiple quarterbacks over the years and helped anchor an offense that consistently remained competitive during several playoff runs. His ability to seamlessly shift across nearly every position along the offensive line made him one of the most trusted players inside the Packers’ locker room. At first, the decision to erase those memories surprised many fans. But once reports surfaced that Jenkins had been willing to sacrifice financially just to remain with the team, the reaction across Packers Nation quickly shifted from shock to empathy. Green Bay will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where my journey truly began. But sometimes you fight to stay somewhere and still realize that chapter has ended, and when that moment comes, the only thing you can do is walk away with respect for every memory that was built there. While Jenkins did not criticize the organization, sources close to the situation say the emotional weight of the release influenced his decision to remove the posts. What surprised many even more was the report that Jenkins has told people close to him that he does not plan to return to Green Bay at any point in his career, choosing instead to start an entirely new chapter elsewhere in the NFL. Yet instead of anger, the reaction from Packers fans has largely been one of understanding. For many supporters, Jenkins’ willingness to take a pay cut simply reinforced what they had long believed. He wasn’t just protecting the quarterback on Sundays.He was trying to protect a home he once hoped would last his entire career.