Keaton Mitchell Could be Low-Cost Trade Target
Keaton Mitchell could be a breakout candidate in 2026 due to a clearer path to carries with the Chargers
QB · LAC · 26 yrs · exp 5 · North Dakota State
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Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 1,051
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Keaton Mitchell could be a breakout candidate in 2026 due to a clearer path to carries with the Chargers
Tyler Shough is the Saints’ unquestioned starter heading into 2026. The quarterback, in only his second season, is also the team’s leader. Shough organized an outing with teammates in San Diego. He has said Drew Brees helped set up the outing, and Shough’s social media photos and video on Wednesday show the Hall of Fame quarterback. Shough’s teammates Juwan Johnson, Chris Olave, Travis Etienne, Bryce Lance, Barion Brown, Audric Estime and Noah Fant are among those in Shough’s post , per Katherine Terrell of ESPN. In his rookie season, the second-round pick went 5-4 as a starter and completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions
Mac Jones on 49ers choosing Lance over him, why he was meant to join Shanahan “And I felt like I had really good interviews,” Jones said. “Kyle really liked what I was doing on Zoom. My Zoom setup was incredible. I had the whiteboard and all the right s–t. I’m like, I’m gonna do this right . So, I had it all, and I would go in there and show tape and try and show them what my superpower is, which is my ability to process and be smart, and also like rip it, and show them that I have that side of me too.” He entered draft night believing he had a legitimate chance to land in San Francisco. “So I think I had good interviews, and leading up to it, I was like feeling good about it,” Jones said. “And I met with a bunch of teams, and a lot of teams thought I was going to be gone, so they didn’t even meet with me. Anyways, so like the day comes, and I ended up not getting picked by them, and I didn’t really know. It was 50/50. We really didn’t [know]. And they went with Trey, which is just fine. And Trey, I know Trey. He’s a good dude. And I think, Kyle, he really wanted me to get back there somehow, like when I went to New England . You could have just picked me at 12,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know if I’m worth three first-round picks, but s–t, sign me up.” 49ers sign 4th-round pick Gracen Halton to 4-yr, $5.6M deal “ With the move, the 49ers have signed their entire 2026 draft class.” Watch: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey’s offseason workout routine “As anticipation builds for the 2026 season, new video has surfaced showcasing McCaffrey’s offseason training routine as the star running back prepares for his 10th NFL campaign.” 49ers 90-in-90: Jordan Watkins reminds us of a pair of former Kyle Shanahan receivers “I imagine Watkins will be the Skyy Moore of 2026, but a more complete version. During OTAs, Watkins and Jacob Cowing were the primary kick and punt returners. Rookie wideout Will Pauling mixed in here and there, but the former two are the starters. Watkins was the only one who didn’t muff a punt. Watkins can have the same kind of splash returns as Moore without fielding the ball inside the five-yard line and driving everybody in the stadium crazy in the process. They have similar body types; Watkins ran a 4.37 40, compared to Moore’s 4.41. Moore reaches his top speed quicker, and that’s what made him a successful punt returner. Watkins’ 10-yard split was in the 65th percentile, compared to Moore’s 98th percentile 10-yard split. The team tried to use Moore on offense, but to no avail. He couldn’t shake free, no matter where Kyle Shanahan lined him up. Interestingly enough, Watkins played most of his snaps at “X” as the isolated receiver. He only ran 15 routes, so there’s not much film to go off of Watkins as a rookie. Still, his usage stood out. The first target of the season went from Watkins’ hands on a sail concept, 15 yards downfield from Mac Jones. It’s a pass he should’ve caught, but those are the kind of routes you can run with a 4.3 wideout….Ultimately, Watkins proved he can be used as a blocker and perhaps be the Travis Benjamin-esque type of receiver in Shanahan’s offenses over the years. The wideout that runs the long developing routes down the field when the offense wants to hit the home run. But Watkins must work on his intermediate route running if he’s ever going to be a consistent threat.”
In 2021, Trey Lance went third overall to the 49ers , and Mac Jones followed 12 picks later to the Patriots. Lance is a backup with the Chargers, his third team, and Jones is a backup with the 49ers, his third team. It took Jones four years to end up with the team he thought he should have joined on his draft day. "I remember like all the hype leading up to it, but yeah, I think everything happens for a reason ," Jones said on Bussin' with the Boys, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. "Like I'm here where I'm at now, and I did think [they might draft me]. They traded up for somebody, and I knew it was one of two people, and I was one of the people. So, I guess if you're a gambling man, it's a 50/50 shot at the start." It was unclear who the 49ers wanted to draft that year as they kept their choice under wraps. Jones had no indication what San Francisco was doing until the team selected Lance after trading the 12th overall pick, first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and a 2022 third-round pick to the Dolphins. Jones joked that he could have saved the 49ers the draft picks if they had stood pat and selected him. "You could have just picked me at 12," Jones said. "I don't know if I'm worth three first-round picks, but shit, sign me up." No one traded for Jones this offseason, so he will remain Brock Purdy 's backup this season in the final year of his contract
Mac Jones, originally drafted by the Patriots, is now a backup for the 49ers, the team he believed might draft him in 2021. Jones expressed that everything happens for a reason and joked about saving the 49ers draft picks. He will remain Brock Purdy's backup this season, the final year of his contract
Look, I promise I’m not trying to pick at an old wound or wounds. Under Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers have won plenty of regular-season games and big playoff games. Unfortunately, the ultimate prize has eluded them. Many factors contribute to a Super Bowl win, including luck, believe it or not. The NFL playoff format isn’t like other sports. Losing one game doesn’t mean you’re on to game two with a chance to even the series. One loss and the dream is over. The 49ers have had several formidable teams and chances to finish the job, but which 49ers team should have a Lombardi? The easy answer is all of them, but for this exercise, let’s choose one of the three options. The 2021 49ers won’t be included in this but should be noted as an honorable mention, with the team coming within minutes of meeting the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl. 2019 Following two losing seasons under Shanahan, the 2019 49ers raced out to a huge lead in the NFC before suffering their first loss to Seattle on MNF at Levi’s Stadium. It’s hard to say if this team was ahead of schedule, but the addition of Nick Bosa , Dre Greenlaw , and Deebo Samuel added juice to the roster, and all three were vital for the team at different points. We all can see Raheem Mostert tearing up the Packers ’ defense in the NFC Championship Game. In the Super Bowl, the 49ers held a ten-point lead before the dam broke, and the Chiefs ’ offense finished the job to win the first championship for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes . This loss is particularly heartbreaking due to the blown lead and the missed opportunities to close out the game. The 49ers’ pass rush of Bosa, DeForest Buckner , Arik Armstead , and Dee Ford is unlikely to be duplicated for the duration of the Shanahan era. Knowing this game was Joe Staley ’s final game as a 49er is brutal. 2022 The wildest season under Shanahan has to be 2022. The season began with Trey Lance starting before he broke his ankle. Jimmy Garoppolo , who was a cardio king at training camp that year, waiting for a trade, stepped in and kept the 49ers steady before breaking his foot and ending his season. That’s where the legend of Brock Purdy begins. The last pick in the draft took over against Miami , and the rest is history. The 49ers rolled over Seattle in the Wild Card round and survived against Dallas in the Divisional round. The stage was set for a battle against Philadelphia with a trip to the Super Bowl and a rematch with the Chiefs on the line. Purdy was injured early in the game, as was his backup, Josh Johnson, and the 49ers ran out of quarterbacks. The three-quarterback rule was born that day, but the 49ers looked primed to roll into the Super Bowl. 2022 is the biggest “what if” season for the 49ers under Shanahan. 2023 This season has my vote. The 49ers had the best injury luck under Shanahan until the Super Bowl, where Jon Feliciano and Dre Greenlaw were knocked out of the game. Think about this: the 49ers lost three games in 2023, and all three were in the same streak. Other than that, the regular season was flawless. Christian McCaffrey was unstoppable, Purdy played some of his best football, a wide receiver wearing number 11 was insanely efficient, and the 49ers even pushed back on the “can’t come back” narrative with two victories in the playoffs, including the insane NFC Championship comeback against Detroit . The Super Bowl had everything, literally. Jauan Jennings threw a touchdown pass; McCaffrey fumbled on the opening drive; the 49ers’ defense held strong for the majority of the game; Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Mahomes; Jake Moody set the Super Bowl record for the longest field goal; Ray-Ray McCloud had a costly special teams error, and the 49ers became the first team to score in overtime and lose in a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, things will never line up as perfectly as they did in 2o23. It felt like the team was destined to finish the job after a wonderful season. Great, now I’m sad. Which 49ers te [... truncated ...]
The Los Angeles Chargers know Justin Herbert as their starting quarterback for the upcoming season, but there is still a question mark surrounding who his backup will be. The Chargers have Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei on the roster. While the former served as the backup last season, there is reason to believe that the latter could take over in 2026 with a strong training camp. “With Justin Herbert throwing little this offseason while focusing on footwork and mechanics, Uiagalelei has taken advantage of his reps. The former undrafted free agent has been one of the Chargers’ most impressive players, thriving on intermediate and deep throws. If that carries into training camp, Uiagalelei could challenge Trey Lance for the backup job,” ESPN insider Kris Rhim wrote. Lance earned the starting job in training camp last year from Taylor Heinecke and sat back while Herbert had a healthy 2025 campaign. His efforts prompted the Chargers to reward him with a one-year deal worth $6.75 million. However, Uiagalelei was waiting in the wings on the practice squad. Uwe Aguillett has learned a lot during his first season in the NFL, and it’s clear that he has grown as a player. He’ll have a chance to win back the backup quarterback job, but it will take more than just good reps during OTAs. He’ll have to prove himself during training camp and the preseason, where he will get his biggest opportunity to show that he is more than a practice squad player. BFTB community, what do you make of Uiagalelei’s ascent as a player? Can he actually take over the backup QB duties from Lance? Chime off in the comments section below
The San Francisco 49ers have never been afraid to make a major splash in the trade market under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, be it for a star or in the draft. Some have worked out, while others have set the team back, leading to where we are in 2026. With the offseason in full swing, let’s look back at the biggest trades for the franchise since 2020 and see how they fared for the 49ers. 2020: 49ers trade DeForest Buckner for a first-round pick One of the more scrutinized trades for the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan was trading star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Buckner had developed into a star and had a Pro Bowl and All-Pro seasons before being traded, but the 49ers elected to keep Arik Armstead at a cheaper cost and move the defensive tackle ahead of his age-26 season. They selected his replacement, Javon Kinlaw , with the No. 13 pick, and that never panned out for the 49ers. Kinlaw had an injury history heading into the NFL, and that proved to be an issue for the 49ers, while the defensive tackle just never developed in San Francisco . Meanwhile, Buckner put together a first-team All-Pro season in 2020 and two more Pro Bowl seasons in the three years after that. 2020: 49ers trade for Trent Williams One of the best trades in recent history for the 49ers was sending third and fifth-round picks to the Washington Commanders during the 2020 NFL Draft for star left tackle Trent Williams. Williams had been at odds with the Commanders over the handling of his scary health situation, and the 49ers made the trade to acquire the star, who replaced franchise icon Joe Staley . Williams ended up being one of the best 49ers (if not the best) of the decade, being a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time 1st Team All Pro selection. For that price, especially given the going rate for tackles, this was a huge trade for the 49ers. 2021: 49ers trade up for Trey Lance The biggest blunder of the Shanahan era ended up being the trade up to No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft, where the 49ers sent the No. 12 pick, a 2022 first-rounder, a 2023 first-rounder, and a 2022 third-round compensatory pick. The trade was made a month away from the draft, which was interesting on its own, and the 49ers were clearly looking to pick a quarterback, despite having Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster on his five-year, $137.5 million deal. They ultimately took Trey Lance in a move that didn’t pan out for the 49ers. Lance dealt with a number of injuries, wasn’t consistent enough on the field in a very limited sample, and lost his job to Brock Purdy after missing a full year due to his broken ankle. San Francisco ultimately moved on from him ahead of his third NFL season, trading him to the Dallas Cowboys . But the trade ended up being a huge disaster for the 49ers in the midst of their championship window, depleting them of key assets for a quarterback who only made four starts for the team. 2022: 49ers make deadline deal for Christian McCaffrey Talking about trading for stars, the 49ers made a huge blockbuster deal at the trade deadline in 2022, sending a second, third, fourth, and fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey. In turn, McCaffrey has given the 49ers two All-Pro seasons in his two healthy years, while also winning an Offensive Player of the Year award and a Comeback Player of the Year award. While injuries have popped up, the McCaffrey trade ended up being a huge success for the 49ers, as the star flourished in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He’s set to play a big role again in 2026. 2023: 49ers trade for Chase Young at the deadline In the midst of another major season, the 49ers made a move for Chase Young at the trade deadline in 2023, as they looked to add pass rush for a potential Super Bowl push, sending a third-rounder to the Washington Commanders in return. Young didn’t have the best season in San Francisco, racking up 2.5 sacks in nine games wit [... truncated ...]
Two days after deleting a pair of Instagram videos that criticized the 49ers for not releasing him, receiver Brandon Aiyuk is back on social media. In his new video, he’s dancing. While wearing a robe and boxer shorts. The caption says “ coming to a endzone near [you] .” Combined with his decision to extend an olive branch by deleting the videos, it’s hard not to wonder whether the 49ers have decided to abandon the effort to trade Aiyuk and to cut the cord in the coming days. That would avoid the awkward dance of Aiyuk showing up to training camp and forcing his release. The 49ers have proven their point. By refusing to release Aiyuk and holding out hope for a trade, they’ve wiped out his ability to get up to speed through his new team’s offseason program. At some point, rubbing Aiyuk’s nose in it takes the team’s eye off the bigger prize. They need to just fold the tents, like they did when they admitted their mistake with quarterback Trey Lance. Focus on the positives, move on from the negatives. And ensure that Aiyuk won’t be one of the hot topics when the team gathers for practices in the electromagnetic hot zone
Good morning, Chargers fans! You know what to do! And now for today’s links. Whew does Trey Lance rank among the NFL’s backup quarterbacks? (Chargers Wire) Keenan Allen can make Chargers history if he returns (Bolt Beat) What are realistic expectations for Mike McDaniel’s offense in 2026? (Charger Report) Could Chargers win the AFC West, ending a 16-year streak of either KC or Denver being crowned? (Charger Report) Take a look at the blockbuster trades that took place on June 1 (ESPN) The best and worst-case scenarios for this year’s rookie quarterbacks (CBS Sports) These under-the-radar AFC players could breakout in 2026(CBS Sports) Eric Bieniemy has the Chiefs returning to fundamentals after rejoining Kansas City this offseason (Pro Football Talk) These are the current 10 oldest stadiums in the NFL entering the 2026 season (Sports Illustrated) Jacoby Brissett will report to the Cardinals to avoid being fined (Bleacher Report)
Lance enters his second consecutive season as the top backup to Justin Herbert with the Chargers, a role that saw him start just one of his four regular-season appearances in 2025 (Week 18 against the Broncos). Versus Denver, he completed just 20 of 44 pass attempts (45 percent) for 136 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing nine times for 69 yards and fumbling once - a rough performance, though it came against one of the league's top defenses and with Los Angeles resting several key receiving weapons. Since flaming out in San Francisco, the 2021 No. 3 overall pick has benefited from multiple developmental seasons with the Cowboys and Chargers, and his dual-threat skill set still offers intriguing upside if he's called upon to start in place of Herbert in 2026
Keaton Mitchell's potential for a fantasy breakout with the Chargers
Since Brock Purdy was drafted with the 262nd pick of the NFL Draft by the 49ers in 2022, he has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to relevant . On Saturday morning, former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith was a guest on the Krueg Show, hosted by Larry Krueger. When Smith was asked about what makes Purdy stand out as a quarterback, he was quick to answer. “So prepared, and I think had such great perspective on the game, right? Like this is a guy that could already process and compartmentalize,” Smith said. “I think, naturally, he’s a super mature kid. Like anyone that has been around Brock, I’m blown away when I would talk to him for the first time I’m like ‘Are you 35 or 40?’ he just seems so much older, he has such great perspective on things.” Unlike Purdy, Smith was crowned as Mr. Relevant after he was selected first overall by the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith played 14 years in the NFL, seven of them with the 49ers, including in 2011 when the 49ers went to the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens . Smith shared snaps at quarterback that year with Colin Kaepernick and would eventually sit on the bench as Kaepernick would become the starting quarterback. Similar to Kaepernick, Purdy found himself as San Francisco ’s starting quarterback during his rookie year after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo went down with injuries. In his first season, Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles . Purdy was unable to finish the game after exiting early due to an elbow injury, following a sack by defensive end Haason Reddick . California Post News : Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X , YouTube , WhatsApp , LinkedIn California Post Sports Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , X California Post Opinion California Post Newsletters : Sign up here! California Post App : Download here! Home delivery : Sign up here! Page Six Hollywood : Sign up here! In his second season, Purdy had a Pro Bowl season, throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs . “This is what I don’t think people realize: this guy pushes the ball downfield. When you look at the down the field from the quarterback as far as attempts, completions, accuracy, I mean this guy leads the league in the NFL every year in every one of those categories,” Smith said. “This is the guy that battles the game manager thing. Like he’s just a product of the system. It just couldn’t be further from the truth.” Purdy threw for over 3,000 yards the next year, but didn’t match his usual production last season, throwing for 2,167 yards and 20 touchdowns. But even in a down year, that was also filled with injuries in the 49ers locker room, Purdy led the team to a playoff victory over the Eagles and would eventually be eliminated by the Seahawks in the divisional round
By the end of the 2026 season, after the Dallas Cowboys play in Mexico City, the Green Bay Packers will have played the fewest games internationally of any NFL club. That could be changing in the near future. On Tuesday, the NFL’s owners approved the league to schedule 10 international games moving forward, up from the 8 that are on the books for the 2026 season. Maybe more importantly, though, owners also passed a rule that takes away teams’ ability to block specific home games from playing overseas. Currently, teams have the right to protect two home opponents from being played at an international site. This is significant because it’s been made known that the Detroit Lions wanted to keep their matchup against the Packers in Detroit, eliminating Green Bay from having to travel to Germany this year. On top of that, it’s also been rumored that the New Orleans Saints protected their game against the Packers, which kept Green Bay from a Paris matchup. Under these new rules, it’s possible the green and gold would have been playing overseas in 2026. Due to a lot of different factors, the Packers have only played two games outside of the United States so far. Moving forward, though, it’s going to be harder and harder to keep Green Bay stateside for an entire regular-season slate
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is not attending Tuesday’s voluntary workout, according to multiple reports. He also did not attend last week’s Phase 2 practice open to the media, Kris Rhim of ESPN reports. The media has access to one of the three practices per week in this phase. Backup quarterbacks Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei are taking the reps in place of Herbert. The Chargers have only three quarterbacks on their roster. Herbert, 28, made his second Pro Bowl last season after completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 16 games
This offseason, there was less speculation about Matthew Stafford’s future and retirement timeline than in previous years, and that could become more of a trend than an outlier despite him being the second-oldest expected starter in the NFL at age 38. Rams fans could be looking forward to at least four more years of Stafford being the oldest starting quarterback in the league. The reasons for him playing until he’s 40 and beyond are growing faster than the grey hairs in his beard. Retirement is a personal decision and could have nothing to do with an ability to play football or make money. Aaron Donald recently emphasized that he always planned to retire after eight seasons and was only enticed to return for two more years because of the Super Bowl. Stafford may want to retire if he wins a second Super Bowl. Or he might want to retire if L.A. does not win the Super Bowl this year. Only he knows the answer. But if he wants to play five more years, it’s hard to believe he lacks the ability to do it.. NFL teams drafted Bryce Young and Cam Ward with the first overall pick in 2023 and 2025 respectively, under the assumption that those quarterbacks would soon become the faces of the NFL. Well, Young and Ward combined to throw 38 touchdown passes in 2025, which is nine fewer than Stafford’s 46 touchdowns en route to winning MVP and also leading the league in passing yards. Ward was only a rookie last year and was not surrounded by much talent. Young is a limited passer who has not proven he can lead a high volume offense, but did take the Panthers to the playoffs at age 24. However, these aren’t outliers. These are examples of a frightening trend of incoming first round quarterbacks proving to be worse than expectations: *benched or in a QB competition in 2026 2019 draft: Kyler Murray*, Daniel Jones 2020 draft: Joe Burrow , Tua Tagovailoa*, Justin Herbert , Jordan Love 2021 draft: Trevor Lawrence , Zach Wilson*, Trey Lance*, Justin Fields*, Mac Jones * 2022 draft: Kenny Pickett * 2023 draft: Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud , Anthony Richardson* 2024 draft: Caleb Williams , Jayden Daniels , Drake Maye , Michael Penix , JJ McCarthy*, Bo Nix 2025 draft: Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart Even in that group of 23 quarterbacks, of the 14 expected starters in Week 1, at least half have a lot to prove before they’re expected to be starters in 2027 and 2028. We saw the lack of belief the league has in young starters late last season when the Indianapolis Colts favored 44-year-old Philip Rivers over any other options that could have been available. His historically-bad athletic limitations were outweighed by the Colts belief in his football IQ and experience. Matthew Stafford is six years younger than Rivers was last season. It’s not that a team would want a 44-year-old quarterback with a weak arm, but this could imply that a 41 or 42-year-old Stafford is far better than the average 25-year-old quarterback. Four of the top-five quarterbacks in passing yards last season were 28 and older: Sam Darnold was the second-youngest at 28 Jared Goff was 31 Dak Prescott was 32 Stafford was 37 Maye was the only outlier and he was a hair from winning MVP. But he was not within a hair of Stafford’s actual value. No offense to Maye and he could be on a trajectory to be unbelievably good next season or 2027, but he was abysmally bad in the playoffs in spite of the Patriots reaching the Super Bowl. Maye was overrated last season and similar to Stroud in 2023, his season-long stats were considerably uplifted by having two or three dominant performances against the worst teams in the league. Maye had 5 touchdowns against the Jets, two more scores than he had in any other game. The NFL’s hope for quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Maye “proving” that they are about to take over the league because of the seasons and playoff runs they had in 2025 will have to go a lot better than Jayden Daniels’ second season or Stroud’s second season, or they risk becoming [... truncated ...]
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