Chiefs Happy with Returns on Kareem Hunt Investment Following Season Debut

Kareem Hunt made a difference in the Chiefs' Week 4 win over the Chargers, and everyone on the offense seems to be happy he got a chance to shine.

Sep 29, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) runs for a first down before he is forced out of bounds by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley (0) in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

For the second week in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs had someone in the backfield step up in the absence of Isiah Pacheco as he recovers from a broken fibula. After a Sunday Night Football win over the Atlanta Falcons saw rookie fullback Carson Steele amass 72 yards, a different player managed to stand out in this weekend's victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In his first game back with the team, old friend Kareem Hunt came to the rescue. Part of that was due to Steele fumbling on the team's opening possession. Head coach Andy Reid said he doesn't view the rookie differently now, but the flow of the game skewed to the veteran from that point on.

"With playing Kareem more, I just kind of went with the hot hand," Reid said. "I'm not down on Carson. He had the fumble, he'll figure that out. We're lucky to have three good guys in there. (Samaje) Perine had a touchdown and had some nice runs for us, too. We're in good shape there at that position."

Steele finished the game with just two carries for six yards, as well as one target but no receptions in the passing game. Perine (14 rushing yards) was more productive than him, although Hunt stole the show with his performance. In his season debut, the 29-year-old toted the ball 14 times on Sunday. That was nine more than the next-closest player, and his 69 rushing yards topped all Chiefs ball carriers by 57.

Hunt also had 16 receiving yards on the afternoon. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is glad to have his friend back in the mix, especially when it helps smooth things over for a Pacheco-less offense.

"I thought he did a great job," Mahomes said. "For someone to come into an offense – I know it's an offense he'd been in, but an offense he hadn't played in years – to be able to run the football hard, get well-earned yards [and] catch the ball out of the backfield, it was good to see. I'm just glad (Brett) Veach is building a great running back room [and] that we can get guys to step up and make plays while Isiah's not here."

Mahomes believes the best is yet to come for Hunt, whose hard-nosed running style helps set the tone.

"He's always been a guy who runs tough," Mahomes said. "He's hard to tackle, and you could see that. He's going to make sure he finishes every single run and falls forward, and I think that was good to see. I think he'll get more and more comfortable as the year goes on and he'll [have] a role in our offense."

According to rbsdm.com (hello, irony), the Chiefs averaged 0.01 EPA per play when Hunt was given the ball on the ground. For reference, Chargers halfbacks J.K. Dobbins (-0.47) and Gus Edwards (-0.36) both struggled immensely and their figures reflect that. Hunt had seemingly countless carries of five or more yards and when he wasn't breaking off chunks, he helped move the chains. That, combined with what appeared to be some solid burst throughout the game, made for a better debut than many anticipated.

Everyone except the Chiefs, perhaps. Even wide receiver Xavier Worthy thinks the move to sign Hunt is already paying off.

"He ran hard," Worthy said. "Man, with Pacheco being out and him running the ball how he did, [there are] going to be big games coming up for him."

Read More: Patrick Mahomes Explains Rashee Rice Injury Play, Chiefs' Mindset Without Star WR