For someone who's widely regarded as one of the greatest offensive minds in football history, Andy Reid's offenses have been pretty one-dimensional in recent years. Granted, he has one of the best to ever do it at quarterback, but Patrick Mahomes is only one man.
It's been seven years since the Chiefs last had a 1,000-yard running back. Eric Bieniemy's departure hurt the running game, and Isiah Pacheco's health issues killed his upward trajectory. That's why adding Kenneth Walker III to the mix might finally put an end to this curse.
Walker may have spent most of his career in a committee, but he's proven that he can be a workhorse. He's an explosive and dynamic downfield runner who can turn the corner in the blink of an eye, forcing opposing defenses to stay on their toes and opening up lanes for the passing game.
Andy Reid is ready to unleash Kenneth Walker III
The Chiefs made a big financial investment to steal the reigning Super Bowl MVP from the defending champions. That was the first hint that Reid was finally ready to change his ways and take some pressure off Mahomes' shoulders.
And as we are now just hours from the season opener vs. the Denver Broncos, the future Hall of Fame coach opened up about his plans to unleash Walker right out of the gate. With Bieniemy back in town, that would certainly make the most sense:
"I like the kid. I like his work ethic. He's all ball. And you love that part of him, works his tail off out of practice and in the classroom," Reid told former HC Doug Pederson. "And he has skill, which I think we were all able to see when he was in Seattle. He can catch the ball, he can block, he can run the ball, obviously. And we'll see how it all rolls out. But I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what he does and cutting him loose a little bit."
That 'cutting him loose' part is crucial. Mahomes is coming off the first major injury of his career, and the Chiefs' OT situation is far from ideal. It's about time Coach Reid thinks about his quarterback's long-term outlook and gives him some help for a change.
He's one of the most dangerous signal-callers in football history, and that's despite spending the bulk of his career with vanilla running games. Having defenses account for the rushing attack can only work wonders for him.
Perhaps the most frustrating part about this issue is that this isn't rocket science. Time and time again, the greatest minds in football have preached establishing the run and maintaining a balanced offense as pillars of success.
For too long, Reid and the Chiefs have relied on Mahomes' talent as a crutch, but just because he can do everything doesn't mean he should have to. It's ultimately on the general manager and the head coach to put him in a position to succeed and give him the weapons he needs.
Brett Veach has already held his end of the bargain — to a degree — by giving him a true star running back. Now, it's up to Reid and Bieniemy to actually put the rock in his hands and let him cook. It's about time.
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