The Kansas City Chiefs let their fans down in a big way on Wednesday night, hiring Oklahoma Sooners running backs coach DeMarco Murray to serve the same role on Andy Reid's coaching staff in 2026.
It looks like Brashard Smith may not develop under KC's new offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, as previously hoped. While Bieniemy will work with running backs as a former star at the position, it'll be Reid still calling plays.
Smith may have lost the chance to change the narrative with Reid, though, since someone not known for development just stepped into the RB coach role.
The reaction in Norman to the departure is enough to give the Kingdom pause on Murray's arrival. Murray hasn't developed a 1,000-yard rusher since 2022, and even then, Eric Gray was brought on as a transfer by Lincoln Riley the previous year. Once Riley jumped to the USC Trojans ahead of the 2022 season, OU's rushing dominance fell off.
That's not totally on Murray, though. Brent Venables hired several play-callers and other offensive position coaches who were hit-or-miss. In the SEC during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, defenses tightened up in a big way. But it's alarming, to say the least, that Murray was able to fail upwards, essentially. Murray wasted Cal Golden Bears transfer Jaydn Ott's skill set after the rusher didn't score a single touchdown in 2025.
It's a scary proposition for Smith, who needs to show actual improvement as a runner and may have to rely on his existing talents to produce for a Chiefs squad that still has Super Bowl ambitions.
Brashard Smith Must Continue to be Pass-Catching Weapon
Smith proved during the 2025 season that he can be a weapon out of the backfield as a pass-catching threat, amassing 19 receptions for 161 yards. Unfortunately, he may be forced to continue relying on that skill set if Murray's recent resume is any indication.
With Patrick Mahomes now less than invincible following his ACL and LCL tears, it would've been helpful to shift some of that responsibility off the 30-year-old's plate. Maybe a full offseason using the Chiefs' facilities will be enough to cause a physical difference that impacts Smith's ability to shed tacklers.
Then again, that's asking a lot of someone in their second year as a pro. It would've been nice to see Kansas City sign someone known more for their work as a coach than their legacy as a player, but Reid and Co. evidently went a different direction.
Time will tell how this move will work out for the Chiefs in the longrun, but it seems safe to say it is a bit questionable at this time.