The saying that "history repeats itself" is often used in conjunction with negative events or circumstances, as if lessons went unlearned. But the Kansas City Chiefs can only hope that the similarities between their current backfield renovation and a scenario from 25 years ago points toward a repeat performance.
For younger Chiefs fans, or those who've forgotten over the years, the decision-makers at Arrowhead faced the same concerns back in 2000. But their efforts to rejuvenate the backfield were greatly rewarded by an offense that looked reinvigorated in 2001.
The Chiefs have rebuilt a stagnant backfield before
The story sounds familiar. The 2000 Chiefs were among the teams least likely to rely on the ground game, with only 383 total carries on the season—good for No. 26 overall. The lack of trust in their backfield to move the chains was reflected in the production as well, with a lackluster 3.8 yards/carry average that ranked in the bottom quarter of the league. The fact that their longest run of the year ranked among the best (69 yards), that suggests that a breakaway play or two propped up the numbers even more.
When looking at the talent pool, the metrics make sense. The Chiefs' two leading rushers in 2000 were classified as fullbacks: Tony Richardson and Kimble Anders. That's not a slight on either, since both men are well-deserved inductees into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. But fullbacks who were aged 29 and 34, respectively, were simply lead cogs in an odd committee approach that included an ineffective Frank Moreau, along with Mike Cloud and Donnell Bennett. That's not going to strike fear in the heart of any opponent.
The following year, Dick Vermeil took over as head coach and the Chiefs took a flier on a running back in free agency who'd been part of a top-10 rushing attack the year before. The selection of Jamal Lewis had pushed Priest Holmes aside in the Baltimore Ravens' offensive pecking order, which left him available on the open market in 2000. The Chiefs signed him to a five-year deal—RB contracts were weird back then—and the rest is history.
(In case you don't know, Holmes would go on to average more than a touchdown per game while in Kansas City and put together a historic four-season run that elevated him into the conversation for Hall of Fame induction. He was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. He led the league in yards from scrimmage twice. He holds the Chiefs all-time record for most rushing touchdowns and is the only non-kicker to score 500 points in franchise history.
The Chiefs are betting on another reset
This spring, the Chiefs went all-in on a wholesale teardown and rebuild at running back. Isiah Pacheco was allowed to leave in free agency to the Detroit Lions. Kareem Hunt is still available on the open market. Positional coach Todd Pinkston was fired, and his boss, Matt Nagy, had his contract expire without complaint.
In response, the Chiefs brought back Eric Bieniemy (a running backs coach at his core) as offensive coordinator. The team replaced Todd Pinkston with DeMarco Murray as the positional coach under Andy Reid. Then they signed Kenneth Walker III to a three-year contract worth up to $45 million in free agency, who was fresh off an epic performance in Super Bowl LX. They also signed Emari Demercado and drafted Nebraska's Emmett Johnson in the fifth round.
After years of signing only aging veterans or injured goods to one-year deals in free agency, the Walker signing in particular was a real shock to the system. And even a fifth-round investment was a step up and the earliest pick on the position since 2020. Suddenly the Chiefs were not only paying attention to a problem but they were addressing it in myriad ways on both sides: coaching and talent.
It's impossible to say how the situations might continue to play out in familiar ways, but the setup is there for comparison. The Chiefs abandoned the committee approach in 2021 and came away with a much more explosive offensive. Walker adds that very element as the biggest import, but there's more depth than ever before in 2026. Maybe history can repeat itself in a good way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google