The Kansas City Chiefs basically went without a running game this offseason, and the weakness finally caught up to them.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes actually wound up leading the Chiefs in rushing for the first third of the season, and that ended being a big reason the Chiefs couldn’t win a lot of those crucial one-score games. A running game would have given Kansas City the ability to get the lead and control the clock, but instead the Chiefs were often forced to play from behind, and they ended up paying a big price.
The fan base bas been clamoring for a big spend at running back, but it’s not going to happen. Why? According to Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict, it’s all about the history and the unsuccessful upgrade attempts the Chiefs have made in the past. This problem has been around since the Chiefs sent running back Kareem Hunt packing back in 2018, so this problem isn’t exactly new.
It’s easy to forget now, but GM Brett Veach actually spent a first-round pick on running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the 2020 draft. The Chiefs were drafting late that year, and Veach passed on running back Jonathan Taylor, but that’a another matter entirely.
The draft-capital investment didn’t pay off. Edwards-Helaire turned out to be a mediocre running back who never produced, even though the Chiefs brought him back on multiple occasions. A year after they drafted him, it was actually Darrel Williams, an undrafted free agent, who actually led the Chiefs in rushing.
Since then, the Chiefs have gone bargain hunting in their running back search. Isiah Pacheco was a seventh-round pick who has given Kansas City some production, but he’s also been injured much of the time. The Chiefs have also leaned on free agents and injury rebounds like running backs Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell and Jerick McKinnon, but only Hunt has given the team its money’s worth to date.
There are two big names floating around this year: New York Jets running back Breece Hall and Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame. The Chiefs reportedly almost traded for Hall at this year’s deadline, but the two teams were unable to agree about whether a third-round pick would be worth it for Hall.
The real reason these moves won’t work, however, is because of the nature of the Chiefs’ offense. It’s built around getting the ball in Mahomes hand, not having a ground-and-pound option like Taylor, and until that changes, neither will Kansas City’s success when it comes to finding a productive running back.