The Kansas City Chiefs need to bring their offense back to life. Bringing back Eric Bieniemy to take the reins as offensive coordinator was a big step in the right direction, but they now need to give him a running back to build the offense around.
Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt will both be free agents, and the team is in desperate need of an upgrade there. Fortunately for the team, it looks like they might already have someone lining up to join them, according to Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star.
The Chiefs Might go After Travis Etienne
"Ahead of Combine week, I’m hearing there’s legitimate interest from Travis Etienne to come to KC. Etienne’s due to become a UFA on 3/11, and the Chiefs need a running back. We’ll see," Sweeney wrote on X.
Travis Etienne will be one of the most sought-after running backs in free agency, so watching him express an interest in joining the Chiefs is great news for GM Brett Veach. Per Spotrac, the 27-year-old will demand a $6.8 million salary, with his new deal in the two-year, $13.62 million range.
After Patrick Mahomes' contract restructure, the Chiefs are still $11.35 million over the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. Then again, they'll make other cost-saving moves, such as potentially cutting ties with Jawaan Taylor.
The Chiefs' offense averaged a pedestrian 106.6 rushing yards per game in the final season of the Matt Nagy regime. That ranked 25th in the league, and they didn't have a single ball-carrier average 4.0 yards per carry or come even slightly close to 1,000 rushing yards per game.
Pacheco was especially disappointing, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry for 462 yards and one touchdown on 118 attempts. There's no actual incentive to bring him back after watching him regress and struggle with injuries for the past couple of years. Even if he's familiar with Bieniemy from his rookie season -- his most impressive -- he may have lost a step and his explosiveness and hard-hitting edge.
Etienne, on the other hand, had a solid season for Liam Coen's team. He paced the team with 260 carries for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt. He was also a factor in the passing game, hauling in 36 of 52 targets for 292 yards and six touchdowns.
Teams are usually hesitant to give aging running backs big contracts. That said, this would be a short-term commitment for Andy Reid's team, not to mention a huge upgrade over a former seventh-round pick who has lost his rhythm.
The Chiefs need every bit of help they can get to return to the mountaintop. Mahomes deserves better, and giving him a premier three-down back who can make defenders miss with his shiftiness and low center of gravity and find paydirt with his arms and his legs.