Better to Be Lucky and Good: Revamped Chiefs Running Back Room Has Newfound Depth

Despite the loss of starting running back Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs have found answers in their backfield thanks to the recent additions of Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine.

Sep 29, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) carries the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have a very different-looking running back room than what the team projected before the start of training camp ahead of the 2024 NFL season, but has the group actually improved out of necessity?

Continuing our review of the Chiefs' position groups during the team's Week 6 bye, Jordan Foote of Kansas City Chiefs On SI and I discuss the ups and downs of a room that suddenly looks even better than it did before roster cuts.

Jordan Foote: It's safe to admit that the current state of the Chiefs' running back room isn't what anyone expected coming into the year. A fractured fibula sent starter Isiah Pacheco to the injured reserve list, and there wasn't a Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Jerick McKinnon around to pick up the slack. Instead, Kansas City relied on rookie fullback Carson Steele to lead the way and supported him with the pickup of Samaje Perine. Following Steele's first quality performance as a pro, a reunion with Kareem Hunt ended up paying off because the rookie struggled with ball security. Hunt hasn't looked back since then. Oh yeah, Edwards-Helaire might also be returning soon. Does that help or hurt the halfback rotation? Is that timing appropriate? Did I cover everything? The bye week seems like a good time to take a collective breath.

Joshua Brisco: When we discussed the running back room back in July, I worried about "the depth behind Pacheco" while you noted that the Chiefs' backfield was "on relatively thin ice." That ice shattered, the Chiefs rebuilt the running back room in midair, and... everything is running smoothly? Sometimes you have to be lucky and good. KC was fortunate that Perine became available after training camp, and they must feel like they won the lottery with what Hunt has shown through two games. Right now, even with Steele's fumbling issues, I'd argue that Edwards-Helaire has the least to offer to the offense, but if another back is injured — an unfortunate near-certainty — Edwards-Helaire should be able to rejoin the rotation to keep competent running back play in the offense. Presuming that Pacheco returns late in the regular season, how do you view an ideal (and theoretically healthy) running back rotation down the stretch?

Foote: We've discussed this before, but it's going to be extremely annoying, tiring and everything in between for a defense to deal with a steady diet of Pacheco and Hunt in December and January. Keeping both players in the mix not only forces defenses to stay on their toes, but it could keep them in decent shape health-wise as they absorb tons of contact. I'd lean Perine and Edwards-Helaire as the third and, potentially, fourth running backs down the stretch. Steele simply hasn't shown enough consistency on offense or on special teams to be trusted if there's a reliable, albeit unspectacular, veteran ready ahead of him. The numbers game could make him the odd man out, but like you mentioned, all it takes is an injury to shake up that dynamic. The clear hierarchy has to be Pacheco at the top, Hunt behind him and then likely a dealer's choice between Perine and Edwards-Helaire. Taking this a step further, what should the Pacheco-Hunt split be?

Brisco: If Hunt stays healthy throughout the season and keeps the burst he's shown through his first two weeks, I'd have no problem with a 60-40 type split between Pacheco and Hunt. That's no slight to Pacheco — it's a compliment to Hunt and a plan to keep both backs fresh when the games mean more. Assuming that Hunt wears down to some extent, a Pacheco-first plan with Hunt in a smaller role wouldn't bother me either, but the big takeaway either way is that KC now has two starting-caliber every-down runners on their roster. With Pacheco and Hunt as a brutal one-two punch, Perine is the easy choice for the team's best third-down back.

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