It's been roughly three weeks since NFL free agency began, and while things have undoubtedly tapered off, that first big wave was an absolute whirlwind.
Think about this. From the time the legal tampering period officially kicked off on the Monday morning of March 9 and 8:00 p.m. Eastern that night, approximately $2.3 billion in new contracts had been handed out. Yeah, it was a frenzy. The Los Angeles Chargers didn't contribute much to that total (and haven't added much since), but we're not here to discuss the overall lack of signings they've made over these last few weeks.
What we are here to discuss is one of the signings the Bolts did make, that being running back and return specialist Keaton Mitchell, who was recently included on a list of extremely high-profile players.
Keaton Mitchell was named one of the most intriguing offensive additions in free agency
Jared Dubin of CBS Sports recently named seven players who he believes to be the intriguing offensive additions of this 2026 NFL free agency period thus far, and this is how the list played out:
- Kyler Murray, QB, Minnesota Vikings
- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Denver Broncos
- D.J. Moore, WR, Buffalo Bills
- Tyler Linderbaum, C, Las Vegas Raiders
- Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
- Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers
- Keaton Mitchell, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
That's a nice list to be included in, as it features No. 1 picks, Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, a surefire future Hall of Famer (that would be Evans, of course), and the reigning Super Bowl MVP. So, for Mitchell to find his name among these players is pretty sweet. Here's Dubin's assessment of why he was included:
"This is just a fun one for me. Mike McDaniel is better than almost anyone in the NFL at getting the ball to fast players in open spaces. Mitchell is one of the fastest players in the NFL, and during his career, he has excelled at creating big plays with the ball in his hands. He's averaged over 6 yards per carry on 121 career totes, and his 14.9% explosive-run rate ranks first with a bullet among the 87 backs with 100 or more carries over the three years he's been in the league. (The next-closest player is only at a 12.7% rate.)Â
"The Chargers have a quality power back in Omarion Hampton and another viable option in Kimani Vidal, but if his career history is any indication, McDaniel is going to value what Mitchell brings to the table, and that's going to be of great benefit for the Los Angeles offense, which has generally lacked for explosive playmakers during the Justin Herbert era."
How exciting does all of that sound?
As Dubin mentions, the Chargers RB room obviously already includes Omarion Hampton, who dealt with some injuries as a rookie but still managed to post 737 total yards from scrimmage (545 rushing, 192 receiving) and five TDs in just nine games, and Kimani Vidal, who stepped up in his second season to lead the team with 643 rushing yards and three touchdowns, adding another 136 yards and a score on 16 receptions.
So, anything Mitchell can add will basically be a bonus, and it'll certainly be entertaining to watch. Dubin mentioned how he was one of the fastest players in the league, but some may not be aware that he was literally the fastest running back in the NFL this past year, clocking in at an average speed of 14.49 miles per hour, helping him average 5.8 yards per carry.
Hampton will undoubtedly still be in the RB1 role, but it will be very interesting to see how the backup load gets split between Mitchell and Vidal. Mitchell, of course, will also be an asset on special teams, as his 26.9 yards per kickoff return for the Ravens ranked eighth in the league.