Tag: Mitchell

Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) rushes during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Report: Ravens to activate RB Keaton Mitchell for ‘TNF’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Baltimore Ravens are expected to activate running back Keaton Mitchell from the physically unable to perform list ahead of Thursday night’s game against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN reported.

The club reportedly opened up a roster spot for Mitchell by waiving veteran defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.

Mitchell, out since tearing his left ACL last December, was a full participant in practice this week as the Ravens (6-3) prepared for their rematch with the Bengals (4-5). Baltimore won 41-38 in overtime in Cincinnati in Week 5.

Mitchell, 22, rushed for 396 yards and two touchdowns and caught nine passes for 93 yards in eight games (two starts) as an undrafted rookie in 2023. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry and 10.3 yards per catch.

The speedy Mitchell could serve as a change of pace to NFL leading rusher Derrick Henry, who has carried 168 times for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine starts.

Ngakoue, 29, has 1.5 sacks and five tackles in five games this season. The former Pro Bowler has 70.5 sacks, 146 QB hits and 21 forced fumbles in 128 games (115 starts) with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2016-19), Minnesota Vikings (2020), Las Vegas Raiders (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022), Chicago Bears (2023) and Ravens (2020, 2024).

–Field Level Media

Toledo Rockets cornerback Quinyon Mitchell poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the No. 22 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles’ inside intel aided selection of Toledo CB in first round

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Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni made a call no other NFL coach or general manager could before the final decision was made to select Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first round Thursday night.

Sirianni called his old college roommate Jason Candle and soon knew his pairing with Mitchell was a perfect match.

“Their personality match is perfect,” Candle, the head coach at Toledo who maintains a close bond with Sirianni years after they roomed together at Mount Union, said Friday of the Eagles drafting Mitchell.

What some in the NFL viewed as a risk because of his small-school production in the MAC (Mid-American Conference), the Eagles viewed as a decided edge. Sirianni knows the small-school, prove-it mentality when he sees it, and Mitchell starred in every phase of the pre-draft process. He was the best player on the field at the Senior Bowl by their estimation, then ran in the 4.3s at the NFL Scouting Combine and smashed position drills and private meetings.

Candle was able to ease some of those concerns for Philadelphia, telling Sirianni how Mitchell turned down Power 5 options — including Alabama, Georgia and Florida State — to stay with the Rockets four years and all about how he sees Sirianni’s personality and competitive mentality in Mitchell in everything from team meetings to pickup basketball games.

The game tape and production — 45 pass break-ups the past two seasons — spoke for itself.

“We think we have an extremely talented, hard-working outside corner,” Eagles president Howie Roseman said. “He’s got the right mentality, all the tools in his body. He had a great process. He had a chance to transfer out of Toledo; he stayed there and came back. He got better, he went to the Senior Bowl, and he checked all the offseason process boxes one by one, which is important.”

Mitchell walks into a loaded secondary with James Bradberry and Darius Slay at cornerback and 2023 draft pick Kelee Ringo, Josh Jobe and Eli Ricks are in the running for more time this season.

“He’s got a lot to prove as a small-school player. The MAC isn’t the National Football League. We understand that … so to take a player like this, he has to be special. We think he is a special person,” Roseman said.

–Field Level Media

Mar 1, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Toledo defensive back Quinyon Mitchell (DB27) works out during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Quinyon Mitchell confident as top CB in 2024 NFL Draft

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Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell overcame every doubt with emphatic answers on his path to the 2024 NFL Draft.

Critics and doubters questioned almost every area of Mitchell’s game the past 12 months but he arrives on the doorstep of the 2024 draft as the top-ranked cornerback in this class by leaving no room for naysayers along the way.

Mitchell dominated in the MAC with six interceptions and 45 pass breakups the past two seasons with the Rockets. Some wondered if he could have the same impact against Power 5 prospects. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, who had other top-ranked draft prospects at the position turn down invitations to the annual pre-draft showcase in Mobile, was an early supporter of Mitchell and provided the stage Mitchell needed in January.

Mitchell said he went to the Senior Bowl to compete and with a point to prove.

“That I can hang with the big dawgs,” Mitchell said.

He rapidly rose from the “best non-Power 5 prospect” in the draft to perhaps the top defensive player in the draft. Mitchell is one of 13 prospects invited to sit in the draft green room in Detroit on Thursday.

Mitchell turned heads all week at the Senior Bowl and turned his attention to preparing for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. He knew his on-field production and lockdown skills displayed at the Senior Bowl would earn high marks. If he could break 4.35 in the 40-yard dash, Mitchell was sure his case for top billing among cornerbacks would be closed.

He ran 4.33.

But to Mitchell, his wheels were never a question mark.

At 193 pounds he ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds at a school timing day last spring. Mitchell said he has been timed even faster since and has a track background.

“I didn’t come here to be mediocre. I came here to break records,” he said before running the 40 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Most major publications place Mitchell in the top 20 picks before the draft, with a few projecting him in the top 10 to the Las Vegas Raiders or Atlanta Falcons.

Those teams would likely need to be convinced Mitchell has everything it takes to be a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL.

Mitchell was GPS chip-timed at the same top speed as Miami Dolphins All-Pro Tyreek Hill — 23 miles per hour. NFL Next Gen Stats uses the same technology and tracked only three scoring plays over 22 mph in the 2023 regular season: Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (22.23, Week 13), Bengals running back Chase Brown (22.05 mph, Week 14) and Hill (22.01 mph, Week 5).

Already strong with long arms, the 6-foot frame of a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL with physical and competitive gold stars on his scouting report, Toledo coaches praised Mitchell most for his professional approach to football. He applies the attention to detail expected from other coaches — not necessarily 20-something players outside of the Power 5.

Mitchell said he considers himself a student of the game, a film addict who likes to tell opponents what’s coming based on down and distance before running the route for them. His dedication and desire to be the best are evident in the results. He studies and charts the technique and winning traits of Trent McDuffie (Chiefs) and the Eagles’ Darius Slay to make sure he has more answers to doubters at the next level.

“The ball will get you paid,” Mitchell said. “At the Senior Bowl, I learned every ball that’s thrown in the air is worth $2.5 million. I’m just trying to get that money.”

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) draws back to pass Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Bills announce 2-year deal for QB Mitch Trubisky

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Quarterback Mitch Trubisky signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

Financial terms were not disclosed by the team for Trubisky, who mutually agreed to part ways with the Pittsburgh Steelers last month with two years remaining on a three-year, $19.4 million contract.

Trubisky, 29, will be making his second stint in Western New York. He spent the 2021 season in Buffalo seeing limited action in support of Josh Allen, going 6 of 8 for 43 yards and rushing for 24 yards and a touchdown over six games (no starts).

Trubisky joined the Steelers as a free agent in 2022, the same year Pittsburgh selected quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the draft. Trubisky began that season as the starting quarterback but soon gave way to Pickett.

While Pickett dealt with injury and regression in 2023, Trubisky made two starts before the Steelers eventually turned to Mason Rudolph, who helped guide the team to a wild-card berth.

In 12 games (seven starts) for Pittsburgh, Trubisky completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,884 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added four rushing touchdowns.

Since entering the league as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft by Chicago, Trubisky has amassed 12,536 passing yards, 72 touchdowns and 48 picks across 69 games (57 starts) with the Bears (2017-20), Bills and Steelers. He is 31-26 all-time as a starter.

–Field Level Media

Toledo Rockets cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) breaks up a pass intended for Miami (OH) Redhawks wide receiver Gage Larvadain (10) in the third quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Cue CB1: Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell ‘can hang with big dawgs’

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INDIANAPOLIS — Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell might run out of boxes to check before the 2024 NFL Draft arrives.

Mitchell dominated in the MAC with six interceptions and 45 pass breakups the past two seasons with the Rockets. He caught the attention of Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, who had other top-ranked draft prospects at the position turn down invitations to the annual pre-draft showcase in Mobile.

Mitchell said he went to the Senior Bowl to compete and with a point to prove.

“That I can hang with the big dawgs,” Mitchell said.

He’s rocketing up draft boards based on his dominance in practices and drills at the Senior Bowl, where Mitchell wanted to show his level of competition in college wasn’t a cap on his ability or potential as a prospect.

Mitchell, who said he watches Chiefs corner Trent McDuffie and the Eagles’ Darius Slay, brought the same mindset to Indianapolis.

“The ball will get you paid,” Mitchell said of what he learned in Mobile. “At the Senior Bowl, I learned every ball that’s thrown in the air is worth $2.5 million. I’m just trying to get that money.”

Speed testing won’t be a problem. Mitchell was GPS chip-timed at the same top speed as Miami Dolphins All-Pro Tyreek Hill, 23 miles per hour. NFL Next Gen Stats uses the same technology and tracked only three scoring plays over 22 mph in the 2023 regular season: Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (22.23, Week 13), Bengals running back Chase Brown (22.05 mph, Week 14) and Hill (22.01 mph, Week 5).

The cornerback draft board is stacked with big names, headlined by Alabama’s starting tandem of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold. But recruiting rankings are meaningless at the moment.

Toledo played primarily off-man coverage, freeing Mitchell to let his ball-hawk ability fly.

By the middle of the 2023 season, prominent media draft analysts began surfacing Mitchell’s name as a potential second-round cornerback. As of the start of the Scouting Combine this week, The Athletic and NFL Network rated Mitchell as a top-15 pick.

At 193 pounds he ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds at a school timing day last spring. Mitchell said he has been timed even faster since and has a track background.

“I didn’t come here to be mediocre. I came here to break records,” he said Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Jan 22, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs past Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) during the third quarter of a NFC divisional round game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey insists he’ll play vs. Eagles

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Christian McCaffrey has been a talented yet brittle performer during his NFL career.

But the San Francisco 49ers running back made it clear Thursday that he will play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the host Philadelphia Eagles.

McCaffrey missed his second straight day of practice due to a right calf injury but had a one-word answer when asked the chances of him missing the game against the top-seeded Eagles.

“Zero,” McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey is focusing on the mental part of the game and studying the possible plays. He also is taking part in walk-through portions of practice.

“It’s the same process for me, just lowering a little bit of the physical load,” McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey has been a solid contributor for the second-seeded 49ers since being acquired from the Carolina Panthers in mid-October.

He rushed for 746 yards and six touchdowns in 11 regular-season games for the team and also caught 52 passes for 464 yards and four scores. He has scored at least one touchdown in the past eight games, the top such streak of his six-year career.

San Francisco has won all 12 games McCaffrey has started, including playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.

He ripped off 119 yards on 15 carries and had a touchdown reception against the Seahawks in the NFC wild-card round but was limited to 35 rushing yards and one score on 10 carries in last Sunday’s divisional round over the Cowboys.

Adding to the anxiety over the running game is that No. 2 back Elijah Mitchell (groin) also missed his second straight practice on Thursday.

Coach Kyle Shanahan expects Mitchell to be available against the Eagles.

The San Francisco running game will surely be counted on Sunday to help take pressure off rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who has won all seven of his NFL starts.

The 49ers will want to slow a potent Eagles’ pass rush that is enjoying a historic campaign.

Counting the postseason, the Eagles have racked up 75 sacks, third-most in NFL history. The only two higher outputs came from the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick (16 sacks), defensive ends Brandon Graham (11) and Josh Sweat (11) and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (11) all established career highs for sacks. The defense also includes tackle Fletcher Cox (seven sacks) and safety C.J. Johnson-Gardner, who tied for the league lead with six interceptions.

“They fly to the ball well. They have a good pass rush,” McCaffrey said. “For us, it’s about executing the play call, though.

“Kyle knows all that stuff, and he knows exactly where he wants to go with the ball. It’s just up to us to be able to do it at full speed and play beyond the X’s and O’s.”

While the Eagles ranked second in total defense (301.5 yards per game) during the regular season, San Francisco was even better as it led the NFL in total defense (300.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (16.3 points per game).

Defensive end Nick Bosa (NFL-high 18.5 sacks) is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year honors, while linebacker Fred Warner (130 tackles) topped 100 stops for the fifth straight season.

Warner is also known as one of the NFL’s better on-field talkers and that includes barbs directed toward his teammates.

“Fred is always going to talk because he’s a true leader,” Shanahan said. “Fred should be the guy who talks because of the way he carries himself every day. Everyone knows how good of a player he is but when it comes to what he does day-in, day-out since he’s been here … he’s ahead of everybody.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) warms up before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel sit out practice

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San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, hybrid receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Elijah Mitchell sat out practice on Wednesday as they nursed their respective injuries.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan, however, told reporters that he expects McCaffrey (calf), Samuel (ankle) and Mitchell (groin) to play in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I expect them (to play), but there’s no guarantees,” Shanahan said on Wednesday. “Especially with it being an NFC Championship Game, I think there’s a better chance they’ll be ready since there’s nothing guaranteed after this. Hopefully, we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

Shanahan initially deemed McCaffrey and Mitchell as day-to-day on Monday, one day after the 49ers’ 19-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Shanahan also addressed the availability of defensive end Charles Omenihu (oblique) for Sunday’s game. Omenihu was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence on Monday after police were called to his home in San Jose, Calif.

“We’ve looked into it for the last 24 hours or 48 hours, not necessarily myself but other people,” Shanahan said. “We feel very good letting the legal process take care of itself. Don’t feel we should kick him off our team at this time.”

The NFL confirmed that Omenihu will remain available and that the case will be reviewed down the line.

“The matter will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status,” the league’s statement said.

Omenihu, 25, has recorded career-best totals in tackles (20) and sacks (4.5) in 17 games (three starts) this season. He also had two sacks and a forced fumble in San Francisco’s 41-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round.

McCaffrey, 26, rushed for 746 yards and six touchdowns and caught 52 passes for 464 yards and four scores in 11 regular-season games for the 49ers after being acquired from the Carolina Panthers in mid-October. He was superb in the NFC wild-card round when he gained 119 yards on 15 carries and added a TD catch.

Mitchell, 24, was limited to five regular-season games due to two knee injuries — one to each knee — and had 279 yards and two touchdowns. He had just 2 yards on nine carries versus Seattle but had a touchdown grab among his two catches for 25 yards.

Samuel, 27, had 56 catches for 632 yards and two touchdowns and 42 carries for 232 yards and three scores in 13 games this season. He had six receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card game versus Seattle.

–Field Level Media

Jan 22, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs past Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) during the third quarter of a NFC divisional round game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

49ers RBs Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell both ailing

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The San Francisco 49ers’ top two running backs, Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, are dealing with injuries heading into Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at the Philadelphia Eagles.

McCaffrey aggravated a calf injury during last Sunday’s 19-12 divisional round playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys while Mitchell sustained a groin injury.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan termed both running backs as day-to-day on Monday during a conference call with reporters.

Shanahan also said defensive end Charles Omenihu (oblique) is day-to-day.

“We’re expecting to get them all back for Sunday,” said Shanahan, “but we’ll see how it goes through the week with practice and everything. Hopefully it’ll go well and that’ll get them ready for Sunday.”

Mitchell rushed for a game-high 51 yards on 14 carries against Dallas. McCaffrey rushed for 35 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries and caught six passes for 22 yards.

McCaffrey admitted after Sunday’s contest that playing against the Cowboys was a bit of a struggle physically.

“I was fighting but made it through, made it through great,” McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey rushed for 746 yards and six touchdowns and caught 52 passes for 464 yards and four scores in 11 regular-season games for the 49ers after being acquired from the Carolina Panthers in mid-October. He was superb in the NFC wild-card round when he gained 119 yards on 15 carries and added a TD catch in a 41-23 rout of the Seattle Seahawks.

Mitchell was limited to five regular-season games due to two knee injuries — one to each knee — and had 279 yards and two touchdowns. He had just 2 yards on nine carries versus Seattle but had a touchdown grab among his two catches for 25 yards.

Omenihu had a career-high 4.5 sacks during the regular season.

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) reacts after a play against the TCU Horned Frogs during the third quarter of the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Georgia WR Adonai Mitchell enters transfer portal

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Georgia wide receiver Adonai “AD” Mitchell has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

Mitchell caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of Georgia’s 42-41 victory over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals. He also had a touchdown reception during the Bulldogs’ 65-7 trouncing of TCU in the title game.

Mitchell had nine receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns in six games this season. He missed nine games in a stretch of 10 due to an ankle injury that occurred in Week 2 against Samford.

As a freshman in 2021, Mitchell had 29 receptions for 426 touchdowns and four touchdowns. He caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in a 33-18 victory over Alabama in the national title contest.

Texas and Southern California have been mentioned as possible destinations for Mitchell.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (25) runs the ball against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

49ers lose RB Elijah Mitchell (knee), sign CB Janoris Jenkins to practice squad

Posted on | by Field Level Media

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will miss six to eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday.

Mitchell was injured during Sunday’s 13-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints. It is Mitchell’s second knee injury of the season.

“He’s pretty disappointed. Everyone knows how good Elijah’s been, how hard he’s worked to get back from his last one and how good he’s been playing since he came back,” Shanahan said during a conference call with reporters. “To be right back there, I know he was real down on it. He’s had some real bad luck. He got rolled up on and it was a bad position for him to be in.”

Mitchell sprained his right MCL in Week 1 and missed the following seven games before returning in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He has 224 yards on 40 carries in four games and sports a healthy 5.6 average.

Mitchell had 963 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games (10 starts) as a rookie last season.

Also, running back Christian McCaffrey, who was acquired while Mitchell was injured, came out of the New Orleans game with knee irritation and will be watched closely this week.

The 49ers also announced that they have signed veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins to the practice squad.

Jenkins, 34, has played in 142 NFL regular-season games (138 starts). He has intercepted 27 passes, returning eight of them for touchdowns, and been credited with 124 passes defensed. Now that he is on a roster, he is the NFL’s active leader in pick-sixes.

Jenkins also has returned a fumble for a touchdown while racking up 575 tackles, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Last season, Jenkins had 54 tackles and one interception in 14 games (13 starts) for the Tennessee Titans. He was released in March.

Jenkins also had played for the then-St. Louis Rams (2012-15), New York Giants (2016-19) and New Orleans Saints (2019-20). He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2016 for the Giants.

–Field Level Media