It was no secret that the Kansas City Chiefs needed to get their rushing attack going in Week 3. And while Patrick Mahomes is thankfully no longer the team's leading rusher on the season, it would be a stretch to say that they successfully got much going.
Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt rushed for 79 yards on 20 carries and scored one touchdown. Pacheco was efficient, but he still had only 45 yards on the ground in a game against a New York Giants team that PFF has ranked No. 25 in run defense on the year.
The possibility of a trade to bolster the backfield is no secret (Cris Collinsworth and MIke Tirico weren't shy about mentioning it on the Sunday Night Football broadcast), and there are already some interesting options emerging. A few teams that have started 0-3, making them likely sellers on the trade market, have runnign back options that could really improve this backfield.
Breece Hall, Alvin Kamara, Devon Achane All Emerging as Potential Trade Targets
The New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have all started the season 0-3 records. Veteran running backs don't offer a lot of value to rebuilding teams who are already all but out of the playoff hunt for 2025, and so their best way to get value out of their running backs could be on the trade market. Breece Hall (Jets), Alvin Kamara (Saints) and Devon Achane (Dolphins) could all offer a lot more upside to the Chiefs' offense than they do for their current teams.
Of the three options, Hall would be the biggest splash. He's on the final year of his rookie contract, so while his cap hit is low for now ($4.3 million), a bounce-back season in Kansas City would drive up the cost for a potential contract extension. The Jets have little reason to pay big money for a running back, so they should be glad to recoup some value, but the cost of a trade would have to come with some understanding from the KC front office that this is going to be an expensive spot if they're not treating Hall like a short-term rental.
Similarly, Achane is also still on his rookie deal. However, he is still under contract with Miami for the 2026 season, so they may have a little less incentive to move on even though they are 0-3. But after the two teams pulled off a blockbuster trade for Tyreek Hill a few years ago, the front offices could certainly work together again.
The last (and maybe least intriguing) of the options is Kamara. His age may be factoring into his declining play in recent years, but the 30-year-old does still show flashes of the speed and playmaking ability that have made him so dangerous throughout his career. It would take some salary cap work to afford his contract ($18.6 million in 2025), but it's hard to imagine he wouldn't represent an immediate short-term upgrade for this backfield.
For now, we're still in the "wait and see" phase of things. But Chiefs fans will be keeping close tabs on these three running backs, and if Pacheco and Hunt can't get things going against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, many will be pounding the table for a trade.