KC Chiefs: Where Has Knile Davis Been
With starting running back Jamaal Charles out for the season with a torn ACL, why haven’t we seen Knile Davis in the Chiefs’ gameplan?
Kansas City Chiefs backup running back Knile Davis has been opening day starter Jamaal Charles‘ primary backup since being drafted by the Chiefs in the 2013 NFL Draft. This year, in 2015, Davis has been all but absent from the Chiefs box score after every game, as second-year running back Charcandrick West has stolen his role.
The popular belief to why West has gotten the nod over Davis this year is that West’s style of play is much more similar to the way Charles plays. He is a smaller back than Davis, and relies on his elusiveness and his hands coming out of the backfield, much like Jamaal Charles.
The popular belief to why West has gotten the nod over Davis this year is that West’s style of play is much more similar to the way Charles plays.
In previous years, Knile Davis has been very successful for the Chiefs when he was asked to start in place of Charles. He has shown flashes of being able to be a starting running back in the NFL, as the offense didn’t seem to miss much with him in there for the injured Charles.
Now, not only does Davis not start for the Chiefs with Charles out for the season, but he barely can make his way out onto the field, other than on kickoff returns. This has a lot of people wondering why, given his success as a starter, he hasn’t been splitting time with Charcandrick West, or at least spelling him.
In the last three games (Jamaal Charles got hurt three games ago), Davis has only gotten 10 combined carries for 24 total yards, for an average of 2.4 yards per carry. West, on the other hand, has 51 carries in that period, rushing for 240 yards that are 4.8 yards per carry, exactly double what Davis is averaging in that time-period.
Now comes the unfortunate truth for Davis and his fans. I believe Davis is on his way out of Kansas City. Davis has been a very capable NFL running back, and he should be with a team that will utilize him on more than just kick returns.
I see Davis leaving Kansas City the first chance he gets because he knows that he should see more time than he is on the field and I can see it in his play when he gets his few carries in each game.
Davis has one more year on his current contract after this year (courtesy of overthecap.com), so he could spend one more season in a Chiefs’ uniform, but I just can’t see it. Be on the lookout for a trade coming to this offseason sending Davis somewhere else where he would be the primary backup or splitting time with another back as a starter.
Next: What Charcanderick West Brings To The KC Chiefs
As a Chiefs fan, I would hate to see Davis go, but I’m also a realist. And that side of me is telling me that we won’t see him in Kansas City much longer.