It's likely a fool's errand to wait on an appearance for Elijah Mitchell in the Kansas City Chiefs offense at this point. The running back has been relegated to the sidelines through the team's first nine games despite having a clear opportunity and need in front of him. But perhaps the Chiefs' upcoming game against the Denver Broncos will be the open door he's been patiently waiting for.
The Chiefs visit Denver on Sunday coming out of the bye, and the running back position remains a concern due to the status of Isiah Pacheco. The team's lead back left the team's win over the Washington Commanders in Week 8 with a knee injury that turned out to be a sprained LCL. Pacheco would go on to miss the rest of Week 9 and the Chiefs' loss to Buffalo in Week 9 as well.
The hope was that the bye week might allow for multiple players to return healthy from injury. That's the case with right tackle Jawaan Taylor (ankle) and others, but that's not going to apply to the backfield. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media on Wednesday and stated that Pacheco will be the only player missing in practice as K.C. returns to the field to get ready for Denver.
The Chiefs have every reason to play Elijah Mitchell on Sunday, but there's no way of knowing what to expect.
Chiefs fans were hoping the team might add a back like Breece Hall of the New York Jets before the league's trade deadline to mitigate need. However, general manager Brett Veach decided against making a deal, which could allow Mitchell to have his moment with the Chiefs.
Mitchell signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs in free agency worth up to $2.5 million with the expectation that he'd be joining a committee with Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Instead, the Chiefs have leaned on Hunt heavily while Pacheco is out, as if he's able to handle such a heavy load at this late stage of his career. Meanwhile, Mitchell has been left inactive on every game day so far in 2025.
To add salt to Mitchell's wound, K.C. elected to promote Clyde Edwards-Helaire from the practice squad in Week 9 instead of activating Mitchell. Edwards-Helaire was not only active but even got a couple of carries in the losing effort.
At this point, Mitchell has to be wondering what he has to do to earn an appearance in an actual game. If the Chiefs didn't believe he had something to offer, there's zero reason to keep him on the roster occupying a spot. Earlier this week, Reid spoke highly of Mitchell and re-affirmed the organization's confidence in him.
Perhaps the Chiefs will finally give Mitchell a chance to play with the news that Pacheco is once again missing practice. Hunt is a safe bet to receive the lion's share of carries versus Denver, and Brashard Smith will garner some touches as well. But there's room for a third back on Sunday, and if Pacheco remains out, Mitchell should be next man up. Then again, Chiefs fans have been fooled before.