Michael Burton appreciates Andy Reid’s insistence on carrying a fullback

The acronym for the National Football League (NFL) is often referenced as in a joking manner as instead referring to “not for long.” The league is a difficult place for even exceptional athletes to put together careers of any great length, and franchises are often turning the page fast when a player is injured or no longer performs at the level desired.

That’s also true of certain positions. It wasn’t so long ago that the NFL emphasized dominant running attacks, anchored by backfield tandems of a bell cow and a fullback. The K.C. Chiefs knew this first-hand after watching the likes of Tony Richardson for so many years.

These days, however, many teams don’t carry a single fullback at all, which makes the position a bit of a roster rarity. In the case of the Chiefs, head coach Andy Reid has kept one handy in each of his first eight seasons in K.C. in Anthony Sherman, and he apparently asked Brett Veach to sign up a replacement when Sherman retired earlier this offseason.

K.C. Chiefs introduced Michael Burton to the media on Monday.

The Chiefs found Sherman’s replacement for the 2021 campaign in free agency in recent days when the team signed former New Orleans Saints fullback Michael Burton.

Burton first entered the NFL as the fifth round selection of the Detroit Lions back in the 2015 NFL Draft. He lasted two seasons with the Lions before being waived and subsequently claimed by the Chicago Bears. He spent just over a season there before finding his way to Washington for a half season and then the New Orleans Saints. He played in 15 games last season for Sean Payton’s offense.

Burton was introduced to the media on Monday and told reporters all about the two primary reasons he signed with the team, including the Andy Reid’s long-term insistence on making sure he had a fullback available to him.

"“In a West Coast system specifically, they gotta be able to do multiple things. They have to be able to run block. They have to be able to run with the football, catch, pass protect, and do all those different things. I think it brings a different element to the offense.  A lot of defenses that might not practice against West Coast offenses, it can be a different fit in the two-back run game and the pass game and stuff like that. So it brings great value. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come here. Coach Reid has always used a fullback and he’s always had that West Coast offensive scheme … Between the opportunity of being part of a winning organization and a scheme fit, I thought it was a really good opportunity for me.”"

Burton also noted that he expects to be a four-phaser for special teams coach Dave Toub next season, which means we can expect to see Burton in all areas of coverage. These sorts of core players are often overlooked on the field, but Chiefs fans will recognize the value brought by Anthony Sherman over the years and hope for more of the same with Burton.

Over the course of his career, Burton, who turned 29 in February, hasn’t been a major target in the passing game, so it will be interesting to see how often the Chiefs trust him with the occasional target. However, he has caught 13 of 17 career targets thrown to him for 82 yards and 1 touchdown. He also has 15 rushes for 29 yards on the ground.