KC Chiefs reportedly had interest in running back Gio Bernard

Longtime Cincinnati Bengals running back Gio Bernard has found a new home with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after receiving his release last week. What is most interesting to us, however, is the note from NFL reporter Ian Rapoport that a few other teams were also interested, including the K.C. Chiefs.

The news is a bit of a surprise given that the Chiefs haven’t been connected to any running backs so far in free agency and seemed content to allow Le’Veon Bell to leave in free agency. They also released Damien Williams in a bit of a surprise move that left the team with only three backs.

It makes sense for the Chiefs to add another back to the mix for the purpose of competition at some point, but the offseason is still long and the NFL Draft is also ahead. It’s surprising to see the Chiefs in on a pass-catching back at this point given that there’s certainly no shortage of other options on the market. Duke Johnson has been sitting on the market for quite some time after being released from the Houston Texans, and others have come and gone like New England Patriots back James White.

The K.C. Chiefs were reportedly in the mix for Gio Bernard.

As for Bernard, he’s proven to be healthier than expected over the last two seasons by appearing in all 32 regular season games after struggling with injuries for a few years. He’s also remained a solid weapon out of the backfield who can catch passes and had 771 yards from scrimmage last season, his highest total in three seasons.

If the Chiefs are interested in such a back, they could easily find one on Day 3 of the draft or find themselves signing a veteran, including the likes of Bell or Johnson or even Rex Burkhead.