The Kansas City Chiefs have lots of needs and spots to fill this offseason, but none may be more glaring than their need for a true starting running back. The Chiefs experienced a couple of setbacks at the running back position early in Patrick Mahomes’ career when Kareem Hunt was kicked off the team for "off-field issues" and then when they used a first-round pick on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who never lived up to his draft position. Since using that pick on CEH six years ago, the Chiefs have tried to be as cheap as possible at the position, but it is time for that to change.
The time has come for the Chiefs to give Patrick Mahomes a real threat in the backfield that defenses have to account for. Not only has the production of the passing game dropped off, but Mahomes is going to be recovering from major knee surgery. The Chiefs simply must take some of the load and pressure off his shoulders. It's what is best for him as he recovers and for the passing game in general, which has become too predictable.
Brett Veach acknowledged as much at the NFL Combine, saying that getting more explosive at the running back position was a major priority this offseason. There were several running back prospects who displayed that needed big-play potential at the Combine, but waiting until the draft to solve the running back problem could be too big of a gamble for KC. Drafting Jeremiyah Love could be a perfect solution, and the Chiefs should be open to using a first-round pick on Love. However, he is so good that it isn't safe to assume that he will be there at pick No. 9.
The Chiefs could trade up into the top five to secure Love, but then you're talking about an even bigger price tag to draft a first-round running back. Even if you are one of the biggest "Love to KC" fans in Chiefs Kingdom, you have to acknowledge that committing multiple picks, including No. 9 overall, to draft a running back may not be the best use of their resources with all the roster additions and improvements they need to make.
The Chiefs need to prioritize landing a running back very early in free agency.
While drafting a running back other than Love could also potentially solve KC's running back woes, it is an even bigger gamble. Pick No. 29 feels early for the other running back prospects in this draft, but if they wait until pick No. 40, what if their second choice goes before that? They could find themselves reaching for a back who wasn't even one of their top choices just to fill a need when there could be players at other positions still on the board that they actually like more.
That is why the Chiefs need to act quickly in free agency and sign a back who does one of two things:
- Gives the Chiefs a clear-cut starting running back that teams have to account for.
- Upgrades the floor of the position enough with a solid starter, but would likely require a top-100 pick at the position to pair with him to ensure the needed upgrade and long-term answer is achieved.
If the Chiefs want to go with option A, then there are only two players for them to go after: Kenneth Walker III or Travis Etienne. Any other free agent running back would not be enough of an upgrade to avoid also requiring a top-100 draft pick to round out the position. Yes, a player like Rachaad White or Rico Dowdle would be a clear upgrade over last season, but they would fail to demand enough attention from the defense to really pull much defensive focus away from Patrick Mahomes.
However, pairing a tier-two free agent running back with a draft pick like Jadarian Price, Emmett Johnson, or Mike Washington Jr. would give the Chiefs a nice combination of veteran experience that a coach like Andy Reid would trust early on and long-term potential in a rookie with clear upside to be a true No. 1 running back.
The Chiefs could make either of these paths work to significantly upgrade the running back position, but they need to have a clear plan and execute it when free agency kicks off this week. They can't afford to go cheap at the position any longer. The run game has to be clearly upgraded in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, regardless of whether Patrick Mahomes is starting on his rehabbed knee or the Chiefs are trying to win the first few games without him. Hopefully, the answer to which path the Chiefs choose is clear in the next couple of days.