Dynamic of KC Chiefs’ Running Back Room Is an Underrated 2023 Storyline

Isiah Pacheco is developing well in year No. 2, but could a bigger role in the Chiefs' offense be in store for Jerick McKinnon soon?

Nine games into the 2023-24 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs rank 21st in the league with an average of 25.1 rush attempts per contest. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, however, given that it finished 24th a year ago and was 20th in 2021. Don't get it twisted, though: Kansas City's running back room is still a significant part of the offense.

Second-year halfback Isiah Pacheco is enjoying an enhanced role in his sophomore campaign, with veteran Jerick McKinnon taking more of a back seat. Rounding out the club's normal depth chart is Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who's seen his role diminish in the final year of his rookie contract.

Down the stretch of the season, the Chiefs will need to lean on the run game at times. Not only will it help keep things fresh offensively, but it will come in handy come playoff time. Is Kansas City's current process working well enough, or do adjustments need to be made? 

Joshua Brisco and Jordan Foote start an Arrowhead Report bye-week discussion to assess where Kansas City is at with the position as the season passes its midpoint.

Biggest success

Foote: After being a somewhat limited player as a rookie, Pacheco has emerged as a more well-rounded running back in his second season. He hasn't been perfect on the ground, but he's averaging nearly four more attempts per game and ranks eighth in the NFL in rushing yards and rushes for a first down. In the passing game, Pacheco is notably better in pass protection and has already doubled his number of targets from a year ago. He's progressing pretty well. 

Brisco: It's about the Ps for Pacheco: passing, protection, and patience. I talked to Pacheco about all of those things a couple of weeks ago, and he seemed to be taking pride in his strides there so far. He's now pass-blocking the same way he runs: violently, relentlessly, and in a way that just has to be miserable for defenders. As a common thread in all those fields, he seems to be seeing the game more clearly and slowly compared to his high-octane rookie season. I'm excited to see his role continue to grow throughout the back half of the year, and the Chiefs are betting on it.

Biggest shortcoming

Foote: On numerous occasions this season, the Chiefs haven't used the run game appropriately. Head coach Andy Reid has had stretches where he either strays from running the ball or calls run plays that don't suit his personnel. Additionally, Kansas City doesn't lean on Pacheco in short-yardage situations despite him being one of the league's better backs in those scenarios. A Reid offense will never be run-first, nor should it be, but more consistency in its involvement would go a long way toward helping boost the offense a bit. 

Brisco: I agree with every bit of that (and we'll get to Jerick McKinnon shortly), so I'll reach down the depth chart for something else that has most likely left the Chiefs wanting. Former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire has seen his snap percentage drop each season with the Chiefs, peaking in 2020 with 59% of the total regular season offensive snaps and cratering to 15% so far this season. When Edwards-Helaire was out with an illness last week, practice squad running back (and preseason darling) La'Mical Perine got four snaps and one carry for one yard. McKinnon has 12 total rushing attempts this season. Pacheco is clearly this team's best back by a mile, but if he misses any time, KC's remaining runners will need a refresh.

Biggest question(s) remaining this season

Foote: What does McKinnon's role look like the rest of the way? Last year, the veteran was targeted 51 times in the passing game in Weeks 8-16 and scored eight total touchdowns in that span. He also averaged just under 32 snaps per game, a total he hasn't come close to sniffing in 2023. Is that an intentional effort by the Chiefs to preserve McKinnon for the stretch run, or is it a byproduct of Pacheco's emergence? The 31-year-old might be the team's third- or fourth-best option in the passing game, so there's plenty of incentive to get him more involved.

Brisco: McKinnon was almost my "biggest shortcoming" topic, just because of those usage numbers. I do assume he'll see more work in passing situations late in the season and into the playoffs, but he's also played more special teams snaps this season. (He's taken 53% of KC's special teams snaps this season compared to 28% last year.) With plenty of turnover in the special teams unit, it's not necessarily a bad thing that McKinnon is taking snaps there, but it's a bit odd to see an uptick in special teams work for a 31-year-old running back who is, theoretically, being held back on offense for wear-and-tear purposes. 

Bonus question, piggybacking off my shortcoming concern: Who is second on the team in rushing attempts from here on out? Pacheco has 124 carries so far. Patrick Mahomes is second with 42, beating out Edwards-Helaire's 33 and McKinnon's 12. The Chiefs quietly have a lot riding on Pacheco's health, but he's rewarded them well so far.

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