The Kansas City Chiefs have a growing list of roster adjustments that should be made during the offseason for this group to reclaim its throne at the top of the AFC. Perhaps the most important area of the roster that could use overhauling is the offensive backfield.
The trio of Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and, to a lesser extent, rookie Brashard Smith did not get the job done during the 2025 campaign. You do not need advanced metrics to make this issue abundantly clear. There is no scenario where Kansas City's coaching staff or front office shouldn't be extremely concerned with Patrick Mahomes being within 200 yards of being the Chiefs' leading rusher on the season with Week 18 upon us.
While there is little for Chiefs fans to feel good about entering the final week of regular-season play, Smith's approach to what will come next for him after his rookie campaign is enough to offer a glimmer of hope for Kansas City fans as he knows exactly where his time needs to be spent this offseason.
"Just getting bigger, stronger, and actually look like a running back, but still playing how I play," Smith replied when asked what his goals for the offseason would be, via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
Brashard Smith's Approach Provides Chiefs Fans Hope at RB in 2026
Smith entered the NFL with just one year of experience as a full-time RB under his belt following his final collegiate season with the SMU Mustangs. The great hands Smith has from his time as a WR with the Miami Hurricanes made him an attractive option to Andy Reid following his lone season as a RB at SMU, which led to his selection in the 7th round of the 2025 draft.
There is never anything wrong with being capable of wearing a variety of hats as a football player. Smith is more than capable of that. The most important aspect of his response to this question, though, relates completely to looking "like a running back."
Very little can compare to the type of punishment that a starting RB in the NFL goes through week after week. This is the level Smith aspires to reach in Kansas City, and by recognizing it this early, he can spend the spring and summer months working his body into the type of shape he knows he will need to be in for his sophomore campaign with the Chiefs.
This is the kind of winning attitude that could, and likely should, score him points with Reid and the rest of the offensive coaching staff. Putting these words into action once his rookie season comes to a close will only help his cause when it comes to seeing more of the field in 2026.
The rest of the running back room in Kansas City will likely look a lot different once the 2026 campaign rolls around. What Smith can do now to separate himself from the pack before it is even formed through the draft and free agency is only going to benefit him in the end.