The Philadelphia Eagles brought Elijah Mitchell back to Philly on Tuesday evening as part of a five-transaction announcement, adding another experienced running back to a group that has been thinned by injuries.
Mitchell’s return gives the Eagles a familiar option after he previously spent time with the team in training camp. That stint ended after he got hurt, and he was later waived with an injury settlement. Now, he is back in the organization at a time when depth has become a real issue.
Why the move matters
The Eagles entered Week 6 missing their top three running backs because of injury, and the situation remained unsettled by Week 7. Saquon Barkley was still not certain to return from his hamstring injury, while Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley were already on injured reserve. That left Philadelphia looking for immediate help, especially with Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys coming up.
Mitchell is more than just a fresh body for practice. He gives the Eagles more NFL experience than Wheeler, and that matters for a team trying to manage a depleted backfield on short notice. Earlier this month, the Eagles signed Brockermeyer to their practice squad around the time they traded Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens. Last week, they signed Wheeler to the practice squad to help with running back depth in practice. On the last day of August, they signed Blue to the practice squad, then elevated Blue to the roster this past Friday.
What Mitchell brings
Mitchell has 327 career rushing attempts for 1,523 yards, a 4.7 average and nine touchdowns. Those numbers show a back who has already proven he can handle meaningful NFL work, even if the Eagles are adding him in a depth role rather than as a centerpiece.
For now, the most important part is availability. If needed, Mitchell could be temporarily elevated from the practice squad for Monday night against Dallas. In a backfield dealing with injuries and uncertainty, that flexibility is exactly why the Eagles turned back to him.
