The running back position shouldn’t be a concern for the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs

Add as preferred source on Google

The Kansas City Chiefs had been worrying a lot about the wide receiver position in the team, because the team had been suffering from drops for some time and Patrick Mahomes hadn’t been able to exploit his strong arm on long throws.

Leading the NFL in drops with 2023 made the team face a series of challenges in terms of their depth at wide receiver.

This made it difficult for Patrick Mahomes to capitalise on his talent for long throws, a defining feature of his game.

Since then, Brett Veach has endeavoured to make good signings in the offseason and precise choices in this year’s Draft in order to recover the franchise’s strength in profundity.

Naturally, some other positions have stagnated, largely because they are solid units and didn’t need reinforcements.

In this scenario, a discussion has arisen about the running back role, as if it had been left aside and was unimportant, but I don’t believe that’s true.

Prioritising an extremely important year

The Chiefs are experiencing possibly one of the franchise’s most significant years. The obsessive search for the three-peat already began in February, the day after KC won the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers.

That’s why prioritising the pieces that will make Kansas City’s squad explosive and deep again is the least tortuous path to securing a third consecutive title for the first time in NFL history.

The running corps of the defending champions may not be packed with big names, but it is consistent and quite solid.

Isiah Pacheco is the number one running back, while the second is Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who renewed his contract with the franchise and is already comfortable with the dynamics and system of Andy Reid’s team.

There’s also Deneric Prince and Keaontay Ingram, reserves who have been in the league for more than a year.

Louis Rees-Zammit, the Welsh runner that KC brought in from rugby league to join the squad, could also be an option in the backfield, given his good speed. However, he is more likely to contribute in the special teams.

The real weapon that enables the Chiefs not to turn 100 per cent to the backfield

As long as Travis Kelce remains a dominant force on the roster, it’s likely that the land game won’t be the Chiefs’ main weapon, even though it’s important. Kelce’s presence and Mahomes’ dynamics guarantee an efficient offense, albeit one that doesn’t exploit its full potential.

Mahomes’ skills, including his strong arm and accurate throwing ability, favour a powerful passing game. Therefore, the discussion around the backfield shouldn’t be too much of a concern.

Isiah Pacheco showed his effectiveness, amassing 935 yards on just 205 rushes last season, despite missing a few games.

Compared to Christian McCaffrey, the best RB in the NFL, the difference isn’t glaring: 272 carries for 1,459 yards.

This strategic approach not only strengthens the Chiefs’ most outstanding characteristic, but also positions the team for another successful season and possible achievements in the near future.