Kansas City Chiefs: The Elephant In The Room

By Leigh Oleszczak | Oct 13, 2015

The Kansas City Chiefs are in a downward spiral this season, and things got worse during Sunday afternoon’s loss to the Chicago Bears.

You often hear the expression “there’s an elephant in the room.” Basically, this expression means that there’s something obvious that needs to be addressed, but no one wants to address it. In this case, the elephant in the room is the future of Jamaal Charles with the Kansas City Chiefs‘ organization.

We all love Jamaal Charles here in Kansas City, but after tearing his ACL and being deemed out for the season, it’s sadly time for the Chiefs to look elsewhere at the running back position.

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Charles had four rushing touchdowns this season and one receiving. He compiled 364 yards in less than five games and looked to be the Charles we knew and loved. During the game against the Bears, however, Charles went down on a non-contact play and Chiefs fans’ fears came to life, as it was announced he’d be missing the rest of the season with an ACL tear.

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During Charles’ time in Kansas City, he’s recorded 42 rushing touchdowns and 20 receiving touchdowns. His best season was in 2013 when he had 12 rushing touchdowns and seven receiving scores.

We’ll have to see what happens with Knile Davis and Charcandrick West this season to determine what the Chiefs should do for sure, but honestly, it might be wise for Kansas City to spend an early draft pick on a running back. That, before 2015’s draft, was a rare feat.

Last year, however, two running backs went in the first round in Todd Gurley (Rams) and Melvin Gordon (Chargers).

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Charles also tore his ACL during the 2011 season, but came back and looked as solid as always. Now after two ACL injuries and surgeries and climbing in age (running backs deteriorate quicker than most positions), the Chiefs need to move on.

I don’t feel like Davis or West are the answers at running back, but again… We’ll have to see how they handle the pressure with Charles now out for the year. If Davis can step up like he has in the past (2013 Wildcard game and last year’s game in Miami) then maybe he can be the Chiefs’ future guy. If not, though, let’s draft and get the new guy ready to run in the future.

Obviously this is sad to think about because the Chiefs have benefited greatly from Jamaal Charles. He’s been the face of this franchise and it’s weird to think about him not being with the Kansas City Chiefs. Football is a business, though, and Charles’ injury on Sunday likely sealed the deal for his future in Kansas City.

Next: An Open Letter to the Kansas City Chiefs

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