Are the Chiefs giving Kareem Hunt too heavy of a workload?

The Kansas City Chiefs have had more than their fair share of injuries on offense to start the 2024 season. While those injuries haven't prevented the Chiefs from going 6-0, it has taken a toll on the number of reliable playmakers they have on offense.

Starting running back Isiah Pacheco has been out for the past four games with a fractured fibula, but it hasn't slowed down their running game thanks to the signing and success of Kareem Hunt. The question now is whether the Chiefs are leaning on Hunt a little too much.

Let me start by saying that Hunt has been fantastic in his three games with the Chiefs this season. He was great against the New Orleans Saints and was a big reason for their offensive success again on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. He has averaged 21 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown in those three games. For comparison, Pacheco averaged 17 carries for 67.5 yards and 0.5 touchdowns in his two games to start the season. So Hunt has actually produced at an even higher level than Pacheco was to start the season.

The Chiefs hit the jackpot when they signed Kareem Hunt, but are they using him a little too much?

So the question with Hunt isn't whether he is worthy of the touches he's getting; rather, it's if the Chiefs need to worry about overworking him if they want him to stay effective—even after Pacheco comes back from his injury.

Hunt's workload over the last two games is by far the most he's had to shoulder since his early days in Kansas City. He isn't conditioned for these demands. It's been almost six years since he saw this kind of heavy use and that's an eternity in NFL years. Plus, Hunt isn't a young back anymore. He's 29 years old and that makes him one of the oldest contributing running backs in the entire NFL.

Here are the current ten oldest backs in the NFL (ranked by birthday) that are getting any kind of regular touches this season:

• Raheem Mostert - 4/9/1992 (32) - 40 touches - 13.3 touches per game
• Derrick Henry - 1/4/1994 (30) - 141 touches - 20.1 touches per game
• Aaron Jones - 12/2/1994 (29) - 105 touches - 17.5 touches per game
• Jamaal Williams - 4/3/1995 (29) - 34 touches - 4.9 touches per game
• Gus Edwards - 4/13/1995 (29) - 39 touches - 9.8 touches per game
• James Conner - 5/5/1995 (29) - 123 touches - 17.6 touches per game
• Austin Ekeler - 5/17/1995 (29) - 49 touches - 8.2 touches per game
• Ezekiel Elliott - 7/22/1995 (29) - 45 touches - 7.3 touches per game
• Alvin Kamara - 7/25/1995 (29) - 145 touches - 20.7 touches per game
• Kareem Hunt - 8/6/1995 (29) - 68 touches - 22.7 touches per game

Of the ten oldest running backs in the NFL who are actually getting touches this season, Kareem Hunt is averaging the most touches per game. Even guys who are viewed as the central figure of their respective offenses like Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara aren't at Hunt's numbers through his first three games. Hunt's totals are even higher over the past two weeks when he's averaged 26 touches per game. Those are numbers that wouldn't just be the highest amongst running backs his age, those are numbers that would lead the league, regardless of age.

I made an argument a few weeks ago that the Chiefs need to embrace their identity as a defensive, run-heavy team, but I don't think they can put the full load of that all on the back of a 29-year-old running back who was sitting at home on his couch a month ago. The Chiefs need to divide up the touches a little more between Hunt, Carson Steele, and Samaje Perine. On Sunday's broadcast, they mentioned that Hunt spent the first five days of the bye week icing himself down to recover from his heavy workload vs the New Orleans Saints. He not going to be able to do that every week.

When Isiah Pacheco was originally put on IR, he was expected to miss 6-8 weeks with his injury. We're about five weeks through that process now. Let's assume he goes the full 8 weeks to ensure he's fully healthy for the stretch run and the playoffs. That would mean he would return for either the November 10th game against the Denver Broncos or the November 17th game against the Buffalo Bills. So the Chiefs would need to lean on Hunt for at least two more games before Pacheco could potentially be back.

Do you think the Chiefs should continue this massive workload for Hunt until Pacheco gets back? Would you like to see them get Steele and Perine more involved to keep him from wearing down or potentially getting injured? I love the idea of the Chiefs having both Pacheco and Hunt as a one-two punch for the home stretch and the playoffs, but I worry about Hunt making it that far if the Chiefs continue to work him this hard.