Los Angeles Chargers 90-Man Roster Spotlights: Keaton Mitchell

One of the league's most dangerous runners, Keaton Mitchell, was born in McDonough, Georgia. He is the son of Anthony Mitchell, who was a Super Bowl-winning safety with the Baltimore Ravens, and Kandice Mitchell, who played for the United States women's national American football team during the 2017 IFAF Women's World Championship.

With elite athletic bloodlines, Mitchell attended Eagle's Landing Christian Academy, helping lead the school to four consecutive state championships, earning himself a three-star recruiting profile. Mitchell committed to East Carolina, becoming an instant contributor as a true freshman, eventually becoming the team's main source of offense as a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore.

Mitchell's 2021 and 2022 seasons yielded elite rushing seasons, having 6.5 and 7.2 yards per carry, respectively. The elite yards per carry metrics and athletic testing were somehow not enough for Mitchell to get drafted in 2023. Mitchell signed with the Baltimore Ravens, the same place where his father won a Super Bowl.

As a 21-year-old undrafted rookie, Mitchell instantly created a role for himself in 2023, rushing for what is still his career high of 396 rushing yards and two touchdowns. At 8.4 yards per attempt, he was expected to be an incredible year two breakout runner.

Unfortunately, Mitchell played five games in 2024, missing the majority of the season with a torn ACL. Coming back from injury in 2025, his role diminished with the likes of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill taking the majority of the snaps in the offense.

Mitchell still showed promise as the third runner, having a 5.8 yards per attempt average, giving the Ravens some extra "juice" when called upon.

Chargers RB Keaton Mitchell Roster Info, Background

Mitchell, seemingly a constantly underrated player, found himself once again doubted, with the Ravens opting not to re-sign Mitchell for their upcoming 2026 season. This allowed the Bolts to identify and sign the runner, giving offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel the exact type of speed he covets, at the position.

2025 Season Stats 

13 Games
59 Carries
341 Rushing Yards
1 Touchdown
9 Catches
63 Yards
594 Kick Return Yards (26.9 per atttempt)

Measurables 

Contract Status 

"Keaton Mitchell signed a 2 year, $9,250,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $3,750,000 signing bonus, $5,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $4,625,000. In 2026, Mitchell will earn a base salary of $1,250,000 and a signing bonus of $3,750,000, while carrying a cap hit of $3,125,000 and a dead cap value of $5,000,000." - Spotrac

Keaton Mitchell's 2026 Season Outlook

Mitchell is expected to be the 2A or 2B behind the Chargers' 2025 first-round selection, Omarion Hampton, while also allowing for snaps for the 2025 breakout, Kimani Vidal. This busy running back room should be nothing different from what Mitchell has seen before in his NFL career. This situation could be ideal, giving NFL defenses multiple different options to defend and giving Mitchell more optimized opportunities for him to utilize his speed.