There wasn’t much to love about the final game of the Kansas City Chiefs’ disappointing season, but there were a couple of bright spots. The backup cornerbacks once again played well, which could be important going into 2026, but the real news was the performance of running back Brashard Smith against the Las Vegas Raiders in the 14-12 loss.
The undersized rookie came up big, rushing for 56 yards on just 12 carries. It was Smith’s chance to shine with running back Isiah Pacheco being placed on injured reserve a couple of weeks ago, and he met the moment head on.
Smith has spent his season learning and waiting for his chance, but the SMU product has been in intriguing option as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 25 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. His production in the running game hasn’t been nearly as strong before Sunday’s game, but it’s too soon to tell if it represents a step forward.
"I thought he did a nice job for us," said Chiefs coach Andy Reid in a piece written by Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict. "I like the way he caught the ball, for the most part, and ran the ball. It was good to get him in the backfield running from different spots—offset and from under center, dot runs. Positive things. He’ll get stronger this offseason, so that’s the biggest thing right now."
According to Conner, Smith also answered some lingering questions about his toughness. The running back is a converted wide receiver who spent his first season at the position for SMU in 2024, so there were concerns about how he’d hold up under any kind of real workload.
Against the Raiders, he showed the ability to gain yardage between the tackles and rebound after a big hit, which is exactly what the Chiefs have been looking for from Pacheco. Pacheco’s injury history has made him problematic as a reliable option, and at this point it would be surprising if Kansas City made a move to retain him as he hits free agency.
Running back Kareem Hunt will be back, but at this point he’s close to being a short-yardage specialist who over-performed in 2025 due to necessity. There’s been a lot of speculation about the Chiefs finally trading for New York Jets running back Breece Hall, who nearly came over at the deadline this year, but there’s a larger role waiting for Smith if he can continue to develop and show the kind of burst he flashed on Sunday against the Raiders.