Keaton Mitchell Injury Update Heading Into Week 1

Jul 30, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell (34) carries the ball at training camp at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Keaton Mitchell Injury Update Heading Into Week 1

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Robert Marvi | Last updated Sep 7, 2026 10:31 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

While there is some real concern about the Los Angeles Chargers’ depth at a few key position groups, they seem to have some real running back depth this season.

Omarion Hampton, after displaying plenty of promise last year as a rookie, could be poised for a big season under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Behind him is Keaton Mitchell, who has explosiveness, and Kimani Vidal, who stepped in last season and was productive when he needed to be.

Unfortunately, Mitchell had missed the Chargers’ last six practice sessions due to an undisclosed injury. General manager Joe Hortiz seemed to push back when asked about the possibility of placing him on injured reserve, however.

Mitchell took part in practice on Monday

Per Kris Rhim of ESPN, Mitchell returned to practice on Monday. That is very good news for the Chargers as they prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Mitchell, who is 24 years of age, is going into his fourth NFL season. He went undrafted in 2023 out of East Carolina University, not exactly a known football powerhouse. But while there, he ran for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, and the following year, he logged 1,452 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns while leading the American Conference with 7.2 yards per carry.

During both of those seasons, he earned First-team all-conference honors.

Mitchell hasn’t produced much thus far in the pros. He had 341 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on 59 carries last year as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, but he did average 5.8 yards per rush attempt.

He’s undersized by NFL standards at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, but he is very quick. Just prior to coming into the league, he was clocked at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Georgia native is listed second on the Chargers’ depth chart behind Hampton. The team signed him to a two-year, $9.25 million contract in March.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: