Time to move on from Jamaal Charles? No way.
It was tough to watch as the season boiled down to Alex Smith trying to make plays without a running game and his top receiver Jeremy Maclin being little more than a decoy due to his ankle injury.
It’s amazing to think what Jamaal could have done against a Patriots defense he had so much success against in their regular season matchup in 2014. Just having him on the field would have given the Pats another superstar they’d have to key in on and would have made things easier for Travis Kelce and the rest of the Chiefs receivers.
His ability not only as a runner but as a pass-catcher out of the backfield completely changes how the defense has to prepare for the Chiefs offense. They still may have lost the game but you can’t tell me their chances wouldn’t have been better with Jamaal Charles in the lineup.
This leads me to the 2016 season and the potential for Kansas City to build on their success. They’ve been able to retain a lot of their own free agents in Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Jaye Howard. Even though Sean Smith and Jeff Allen are gone the ability to keep so many core players will definitely help the team’s continuity going forward.
They’ve added one of the best right tackles in football in Mitch Schwartz, brother of former fan-favorite Geoff. Another addition is WR Rod Streater, whose size and speed adds another dimension to the Chiefs receiving corps. If Streater can return to his 2013 form it’s a steal for the team.
You know which player a lot of people are forgetting about when talking about the 2016 Chiefs? Jamaal Charles. The same Jamaal Charles who was jumping rope four months after ACL surgery. The same Jamaal Charles who still holds the NFL record for yards per attempt for a running back and also averaged at least 5.0 YPA the three seasons after his first ACL injury in 2011.
Let’s not talk about him like he’s an aging veteran barely able to stay on an NFL roster. I don’t think we’re close to that point yet.
It is true that Charles turns 30 this year (but not until Dec. 27) and that’s the magical number where running backs are supposed to turn back into pumpkins. When looking at his stats it’s easy to forget that he’s only had five seasons in which he’s had 190 or more rushing attempts. Both ACL injuries happened early in their respective seasons (12 carries in 2011, 71 in 2015) and his rookie year in 2008 Charles only had 67 carries, so there’s still tread on the tires.
Outside of these two non-contact injuries he’s played in at least 15 games in every other season. While we’ve seen him nicked up at times during games he almost always comes back in and it’s why I’ve always considered him very durable given his size and willingness to go up the middle. That’s a trait you won’t find in some running backs who are 30 pounds heavier than Jamaal.
Next: Paying too much for Jamaal?