The Kansas City Chiefs' running back room left much to be desired throughout the 2025 NFL season. The lackluster backfield situation resulted in the eighth-fewest rushing yards (1,812) and the 11th-fewest yards per carry (4.2) in the league, opening the door for the Chiefs to seriously shake up their rushing attack this offseason.
Now that the offseason is here, Kansas City's RB room already has one less name.
"I can confirm that Todd Pinkston is no longer with the Chiefs as running backs coach," Chiefs Digest's Matt Derrick reported on Thursday. "Defensive quality control coach Louie Addazio has also departed for a position at UNLV. Sam McDowel had it first. That's in addition to the departures of WR coach Conner Embree & assistant DL coach Alex Whittingham."
Pinkston had been in the role since the 2023 season and was set up for failure in many ways, given a questionable offensive line and no stars at the position. Still, there is no denying that Isiah Pacheco, Brashard Smith, and Elijah Mitchell failed to make an impact last season, and some of the blame must fall on Pinkston's shoulders.
Although a shake-up was much needed, Pinkston's exit likely means that Pacheco won't be returning to Kansas City this offseason.
Todd Pinkston's Chiefs Exit Just Sealed Isiah Pacheco's Fate
Pacheco is losing one of his biggest champions in Pinkston, adding another reason why the Chiefs won't retain the back. Back in November, the veteran coach couldn't help but gush over what Pacheco brings to the table.
“Pacheco brings that energy to the room and on the field. It’s just another piece that we have to the puzzle to get everything we want to get accomplished this season," Pinkston said, via Arrowhead Pride's Ron Kopp Jr. "It’s good to see him back. We’re just taking these baby steps now; we’ll see what happens in the long run.”
Unfortunately, Pacheco's 2025 performance didn't reward Pinkston's faith. The former Rutgers RB only rushed for 462 yards and a touchdown on 118 carries, with his 3.9 yards per attempt being noticeably below his career average (4.4). Additionally, his 5.3 yards per reception were a new personal worst, and that's without mentioning his breaking the 50-yard mark in only three of his 13 appearances.
No matter how you slice it, that's far from what the Chiefs wanted to see from their supposed RB1. When Patrick Mahomes rushes for almost as many yards as him (422) on 54 fewer attempts, something has to give, and without Pinkston returning, Kansas City has one more reason to turn the page on Pacheco.
For Pacheco, he likely won't have a difficult time finding a new landing spot, having been a contributor to Kansas City's dynasty, winning two Super Bowls, and having 2,537 career rushing yards and 14 career rushing touchdowns. Now, it'll be up to him to prove that a fresh start is what he needs to get back to his old self. If he can't, though, the Chiefs will look even better for moving on.