The Los Angeles Chargers continued to tighten up the margins at their skill positions on Thursday morning, adding fourth-year running back Keaton Mitchell on a two-year, $9.25 million deal.
With their [signing of Charlie Kolar](https://boltbeat.com/charlie-kolar-blessing-chargers-surprising-price-tag), Mitchell is the second free agent this offseason the Chargers have poached from the Baltimore Ravens. Like Kolar, Mitchell is someone who can help strengthen and diversify Los Angeles's run game. Although Mitchell does not have the size to be an every-down back as a pass protector, he does have the speed and the burst to be explosive in Mike McDaniel's outside-zone heavy run scheme.
In tandem with Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal, Mitchell could become truly dangerous if properly utilized in the course of the normal run game. He is the RB3 the Chargers needed to add this offseason.
But he also has special-teams experience as a kick returner, and that could quickly spell trouble for a member of the team who's already hanging on for dear life heading into 2026: Derius Davis.
Keaton Mitchell could take over special teams duties if he impresses in camp
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Mitchell is a steal of a free agent for the Chargers. He was highly effective on limited touches in 2025, amassing 341 yards and 16 first downs on just 47 attempts on the ground. He also caught nine passes for 63 yards. While the Ravens non-tendered him because of the current construction of their backfield, Mitchell can certainly be a productive piece in the right offensive structure.
But there's a chance the Chargers have more to look forward to than that. He's not primarily a special-teams player, but he does have experience at both the college and the NFL level as a kick returner. In 2025, when his time in that role ramped up, he totaled 22 returns for a total of 591 yards. He also returned at least one kick in all three seasons he spent at East Carolina.
Davis, meanwhile, was [one of the weak spots](https://boltbeat.com/former-chargers-all-pro-probably-just-lost-his-job-on-primetime-vs-eagles) for Los Angeles in 2025. Across 11 games he returned 18 kicks for 464 yards— a middling mark of 25.8 yards-per-return. Mitchell posted a mark of 26.9 in that same category.
It's been clear for a while that Davis's speed is waning and, with it, his effectiveness as a return man. If Mitchell walks into camp and impresses with his speed, he could quickly displace Davis as the team's primary kick returner.
If that happens, Davis's place on the roster will be in serious peril.