The time new Chiefs WR Richie James broke college football

The newest Chief WR was a part of one of the most exciting and I-never-saw-that-coming football games in college football history.

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t exactly deliver the “former Giants wide receiver signs with Chiefs” headline that a lot of fans wanted this week, but the team did make a lowkey acquisition in free agency that will play a part in the Chiefs’ plans in 2023. The team announced on Friday that it had agreed to terms with former Giants and 49ers wideout Richie James.

The Chiefs needed a versatile playmaker to replace Mecole Hardman, who departed in free agency for the Jets on March 22. While the 27-year-old James doesn’t have Hardman’s ceiling in the offense, he does give the Chiefs an athletic Dexter-McCluster-type that allows Andy Reid and Matt Nagy to get creative.

While at Middle Tennessee State—where he was a collegiate teammate of Charvarius Ward and Darius Harris—James was a part of one of the most exciting and I-never-saw-that-coming football games in college football history.

Rewind to November 26, 2016. Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The Blue Raiders of MTSU played host to the Florida Atlantic Owls on Senior Day, and they entered the game without their starting quarterback. In the second series of the game, Middle Tennessee State also lost their backup quarterback to a concussion.

At that point, the Blue Raiders pressed the panic button, shifting to a Wildcat offense featuring James (a high school quarterback) behind center. The Blue Raiders turned to James in every way possible, having him throw, catch, and run the ball in an effort to try to squeak out a victory. All the Blue Raiders did was rip off 42 first-half points on their way to a 77-56 win that day—and James was the key player.

The 5’9″ 185-lb. James finished the game with 22 carries for 207 yards, and 4 receptions for another 120 yards. He also completed 5/6 passing for 76 yards. It was just the sixth time in college football history that a player gained 200+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards. James also scored 4 touchdowns on the day.

James’ ability to return kicks and punts also affords the Chiefs the freedom to take Isiah Pacheco and Kadarius Toney off of those duties and allows them to focus on their respective roles within the offense.

Perhaps it is Reid’s bias for punt-pass-and-kick flexibility that gives him the knack for unearthing other multi-faceted players like himself. The Chiefs love to get creative with their kaleidoscopic offense, and the signing of James gives Reid and Nagy another versatile, handy weapon.