When running back Elijah Mitchell is on the field, he is an exciting playmaker.

That’s what the Kansas City Chiefs had in mind when they signed him to a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million — and the 26-year-old running back says he’s ready to start proving the team made the right move.

“I’m back at 100%,” he told reporters in a Zoom call last week, referring to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the 2024 season. “I’ll be ready to go when we start back up in May — definitely.”

After his season off, Mitchell is motivated to get back to work.

“It was very challenging,” he recalled. “Just having the love for football and not being able to step on the field and compete against the best, it really weighed on me a lot. I’m hungrier than ever — and I’m ready to roll.”

While Mitchell will be among the team’s newcomers when practices begin, he feels he’ll fit in with his new team after four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

“The things they do on offense [are like] everything I did in San Francisco,” he noted, “so I’m excited for it.”

With the 49ers, Mitchell was primarily used in the running game. But he believes he can bring more to the Chiefs.

“When I was at San Francisco, I did all of the passing game stuff in practice,” he explained. “Now just being able to actually do it with Kansas City, it’s going to open up a lot of things — not just for me, [but] for the team. It’s going to be incredible — and I’m excited.”

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

There will be at least one familiar face on the practice field. Kansas City’s new left tackle Jaylon Moore was among Mitchell’s teammates during all four of his seasons with the 49ers — and the running back is as confident in Moore’s fit with the Chiefs as he is with his own.

“That’s my boy,” Mitchell said of Moore. “We came in together — [and] since Day 1, we clicked. Jaylon brings a lot — even though he was behind one of the best tackles in the league. Jaylon is definitely a sleeper — and Patrick Mahomes is going to love [what] Jaylon brings to it. He can protect, he’s a good guy — and [he’s] an awesome football player.”

Mitchell understands that with the Chiefs — where he’ll compete against Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt — there will be a high bar to clear. But that’s just what the fifth-year running back wants.

“When things get tough — and you get to the point where your head coach wants to just run the ball — that gets me fired up,” he said. “You put everything on your back and just be a playmaker. That’s it.”

Kansas City will need a more explosive offense in 2025. Mitchell has already flashed as a playmaker during his NFL career — and he is looking forward to an opportunity to prove he can help the Chiefs reach their goal.