Even after setting franchise records for a rookie running back, Elijah Mitchell doesn't seem overly satisfied with what he did for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.
But it's possible he won't ever reach complete satisfaction with his performance due to the "chip in his heart" he carries after being passed over in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Mitchell joined The Jim Rome Show for an interview on Monday, during which he was asked if he had a chip on his shoulder due to him being a late Round 6 draft selection. He responded to that question by using a fresh spin on that familiar saying.
"(They) always say it puts a chip on your shoulder, but really it puts a chip in your heart," Mitchell said. "That means nobody can take it."
Mitchell picked up that mindset from a veteran teammate in wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. Mitchell said Sanu gave him a fair amount of good advice as a rookie, including why it was important to view his draft slip in a deeper way.
"I had a conversation with him," Mitchell said. "He was like, 'Man, don't say 'a chip on your shoulder' because somebody can always take that from you. But if you say 'a chip in your heart' nobody can take that from you. It's always going to be there."
Mitchell was the top overall rookie for the 49ers in 2021, running for a team rookie record of 963 yards on 207 carries (4.7 yards per carry) with five touchdowns after totaling 3,267 yards and 41 touchdowns in four collegiate seasons at Louisiana University. Being a late-round addition to a team that already had a stable of talented running backs led to Mitchell being considered an unexpected success in 2021, but he feels he could have done more after being limited to 11 games due to injuries.
"I feel like I could have done better -- way better than what I did, even though I had a lot of success," Mitchell said. "Playing injured and stuff, that's not always good. But I'm ready to heal up and get ready for 2022."
Mitchell told Rome he plans taking the next step by hitting his offseason head-on -- after he rests the bumps and bruises he took over the course of 2021.
"Just healing up and getting ready to train like I never did before," Mitchell said.
You can listen to the entire interview with Mitchell below.