How Will Chiefs Fill Running Back Spot Behind Pacheco?

The Kansas City Chiefs are led by Isiah Pacheco in the running back room. For a former seventh-round pick, Pacheco has been able to become one of the more tough and dynamic young running backs in the league. His mix of contact balance, quickness and power is a rarity for runners of his stature. But entering 2024, Kansas City has some decisions to make at the running back spot. How will the Chiefs go about filling out the depth behind Pacheco in the running back room?

Both Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are set to be free agents this offseason. And quite simply, both of those players are at different stages of their careers. McKinnon will turn 32 years old in around a couple of months. Additionally, the Georgia Southern product has dealt with a bit more nagging injuries in recent years. As for CEH, the former first-round pick is set to have his rookie contract expire. He will enter his fifth career season in 2024.

Barring a shocking development, Pacheco will not be the only KC running back to receive carries in 2024. How will the Chiefs round out the rest of the running back room around Pacheco going forward, as a result? Let’s kick it off.

Could McKinnon Or Edwards-Helaire Return?

It may not be impossible for either Jerick McKinnon or Clyde Edwards-Helaire to return in free agency. For starters, McKinnon has been a trustworthy piece in both receiving and blocking in the pass game. As for Edwards-Helaire, he arguably had his best moments on the Chiefs offense over parts of the last two years. That is true, despite missing some time and playing limited snaps.

But if we had to predict, it seems a bit challenging to envision both running backs returning to Kansas City in 2024. If either one of these Chiefs were to still be an option behind Pacheco, it would likely be CEH. Edwards-Helaire is obviously younger. Kansas City knows he can run specific portions of the offensive playbook. And if anything, this team has mostly stuck by Edwards-Helaire, when they could have moved on from him a lot sooner. That may not mean he absolutely returns. Though, the Chiefs may like the idea of having Edwards-Helaire as an additional option behind Pacheco for at least another year.

What Style Of Runner Should Complement Pacheco?

As mentioned above, Pacheco offers both quickness and power inside of the Chiefs offense. So, what style of runner should Kansas City look towards to complement him? Regardless of position, the Chiefs have generally favored guys who offer more pure speed in the Andy Reid offense. But even on the depth chart for the longest time, Reid has still had his fair share of bruisers to tap into.

One thing that has been a challenge in recent years, is the running backs not capitalizing on extra space in the open field. Some of that can be attributed to a lack of long speed. Yet, the Chiefs have not had a collectively strong group of runners, when it comes to overall field vision. You also had to wonder about the durability of the group over the last couple of seasons, to boot. How will those prior issues for Kansas City affect how the Chiefs go about adding to the position behind Pacheco?

Free Agency And NFL Draft Offer Numerous Options

Perhaps, there is a chance some names on the Chiefs’ practice squad get opportunities behind Pacheco. This includes options like La’Mical Perine, Keaontay Ingram and Deneric Prince. But ideally, it appears possible that the Chiefs may add a running back in either free agency or the draft, if not both. Here are some potential outside options for Kansas City at the running back spot.

Specifically in free agency, you would likely look to names who can still offer some production. But obviously, Kansas City is not going to sign someone to handle a starter’s type of workload. Here are a few names that could make sense with their traits and potential salary. Players like Antonio Gibson, Alexander Mattison and D’Onta Foreman could all thrive in the zone running scheme. And via Spotrac, all three are only projected for a market value of roughly $3 million to $3.6 million per season on a new deal. If Kansas City wanted to spend a little more, Zack Moss is also intriguing as a number two option for the Chiefs behind Pacheco.

If the Chiefs were to draft a running back this April, it likely would not be until day three of the draft. Some names that stand out as possible speed options are Bucky Irving (Oregon), MarShawn Lloyd (USC) and Jawhar Jordan (Louisville). Meanwhile, if you are looking for more than just quickness, Kansas City could look into names like Ray Davis (Kentucky), Audric Estime (Notre Dame) and Dillon Johnson (Washington).