Chargers To Sign RB Keaton Mitchell

The third-year GM will sign off on a two-year, $9.25MM Chargers deal for Mitchell, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Mitchell did not receive an RFA tender from the Ravens, and Jesse Minter’s former team will take advantage. Mitchell will receive $5MM fully guaranteed.

Showing game-breaking ability as a rookie, Mitchell saw his career sidetracked by a late-season ACL tear. The East Carolina alum did not return until November 2024. By that time, the Ravens had Derrick Henry completing a historic season. As Mitchell faded into the background in a Henry-powered backfield, Baltimore did not tender him as an RFA Monday. The low-end tender cost teams $3.52MM this year.

Having not yet determined the Maxx Crosby trade would be nixed and still carrying Lamar Jackson‘s $74MM-plus cap hit at the time, the Ravens passed on Mitchell to make him an unrestricted free agent. As the RFA tender prices keep rising, teams have increasingly passed on handing them out. This regularly results in players coming back to the same team at a reduced rate, but Mitchell ended up faring better than he would have under the tender.

Mitchell flashed brightly as a rookie, averaging an eye-popping 8.4 yards per carry on 47 handoffs. After only 15 carries in 2024, Mitchell handled a career-high 59 totes in 2025. The Chargers will be adding a fourth-year back with little tread on his tires and one who is more than two years removed from his ACL tear.

With the Ravens also having Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali in their backfield last season, Mitchell did finish with the second-most carries (among RBs) on Baltimore’s roster. He rushed for 341 yards in 2025. The Chargers have not re-signed Najee Harris, though they did tender Kimani Vidal as an ERFA last week. Mitchell and Vidal represent interesting options behind starter Omarion Hampton.

New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel unleashed one of the NFL’s fastest players, in De’Von Achane, in Miami. Mitchell did not run track at East Carolina, whereas Achane had a 10.1-second 100-meter clocking on his resume, but he did zoom to a 4.37-second 40-yard dash time at the 2023 Combine. It will be interesting to see how the new Bolts OC uses Mitchell and Vidal in his first L.A. offense.