49ers Rookie Gives Up 53-Man Roster Opportunity to Care for Ill Parents
Santa Clara, CA – Just days before final cuts, San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Darius Mitchell has decided to step away from the 53-man roster battle to return home and care for his seriously ill parents.
Mitchell, 23, joined San Francisco as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft. In the preseason, he impressed with 61 yards on 8 carries and a 41-yard touchdown burst against the Denver Broncos—followed by a leap into the Levi’s Stadium stands that electrified the Faithful—showing depth potential behind Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, and Jordan Mason.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan praised him after the game: “Darius showed vision, speed, and heart. He’s the kind of player who fits our culture.”
Within hours, Mitchell issued a statement echoing the heartfelt family-first message fans have witnessed across the league:
“Thank you San Francisco 49ers for the incredible opportunity to chase my NFL dream. But right now, my parents—who sacrificed everything for me—are fighting illness. My father is battling heart disease, and my mother is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. I need to be with them. The NFL is a dream, but family is my foundation. Thank you, 49ers Faithful, and I hope to be back soon. #FTTB”
General manager John Lynch voiced support: “Darius is a talented young man with tremendous character. We respect his decision to put family first, and the door will always be open for him here in San Francisco.”
Mitchell’s choice doesn’t drastically disrupt the 49ers’ RB depth—anchored by McCaffrey and Mason while awaiting full health for Elijah Mitchell—but it emphasizes that football is more than touchdowns and tackles; it’s about humanity and values.
On social media, fans began rallying behind the hashtag #DariusStrong. Should his family situation stabilize, Mitchell could pursue another NFL shot in 2026—perhaps even rejoining San Francisco’s practice squad—with his preseason highlight reel giving him a very real chance.
Former Eagles Star with Two Super Bowl Rings Returns to Philadelphia After Announcing Retirement in the Offseason, Right After the Win Over the Vikings
Philadelphia, PA — Right after the win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles sent the locker room buzzing by confirming the return of former cornerstone Brandon Graham. Just a few months after announcing his retirement in the offseason, the defensive icon of the City of Brotherly Love has decided to lace up again as the team seeks additional edge pressure and a leadership voice for a pivotal stretch of the season.
Graham returns to a wave of excitement tempered by realism: he missed training camp and the first half of the season, which means he’ll need a carefully designed ramp-up plan. The coaching staff is expected to stage the workload day by day, monitor his recovery after each session, and then gradually increase his snaps from a rotational role. The immediate goal is to help him regain contact rhythm, hand feel, and takeoff timing in short areas.
From a football standpoint, Graham’s presence immediately gives the Eagles a disciplined leverage player at defensive end, a reliable set-the-edge option on early downs, and a veteran who can execute interior stunts/twists within pressure packages. While no one should expect a sudden surge in sacks, his biggest value lies in tightening the perimeter of the defense, forcing runs back into traffic, and elevating the unit’s collective pursuit.
In passing situations, Graham will likely be used selectively by package: rushing from 5- or 4i-technique and syncing with interior defenders to create steady pressure built on power and timing rather than pure speed. His savvy—reading drop points and triggering counter moves—has been missing at times as injuries thinned the edge rotation.
The locker-room dimension may be even more important. For years, Graham has been a standard-setter for practice intensity and mental consistency. For the young edge group, a teacher on the field—someone who calibrates eyes, shoulders, and hands in rhythm—can shorten the learning curve more than any meeting.
Procedurally, the two sides are expected to begin with standard medicals, then finalize a short-term deal through the end of the season with flexible structure: veteran minimum base plus incentives tied to snaps, benchmarks, and team results. From a roster-management angle, the Eagles will need to open a spot on the 53 (IR/waive/practice-squad adjustments) before activating Graham.
The upcoming schedule leaves little room for error, which is why a veteran who already speaks the language of this system—no playbook “translation” required—is such a snug fit. Graham’s return doesn’t preclude additional reinforcements; it positions the Eagles to strengthen depth internally while keeping options open if the trade market presents value.
Big picture, this is a low-risk move with a high ceiling for cultural and organizational impact. If the ramp-up progresses smoothly, the Eagles will have a dependable edge-setter right as the season enters its series of stress tests. And for Philadelphia fans, Graham’s message says it all: he can’t yet leave football—or this city—and the next appointment is back on the field.
