The Kansas City Chiefs will be one of the more active teams this offseason after failing to make the postseason for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes’ era.
The Chiefs have to make a few additions in the backfield, as they only have Brashard Smith under contract for next season. Kansas City must also revamp its defensive line, which took a step back in 2025.
The Chiefs will try to do this while also hoping to re-sign some of their free agents and rework their cap situation. According to OverTheCap.com, the Chiefs are projected to be $54.9 million over the cap when free agency begins next month.
We should expect general manager Brett Veach to get the Chiefs under the cap to make moves this offseason, but we shouldn’t expect them to break the bank. At running back, several names are set to hit the open market, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall.
Chiefs fans would love to see the team go after Hall, as he’d be the unquestioned RB1. But in the case that doesn’t happen, Kansas City could address the position in the draft and pair that rookie with a veteran like Kenneth Gainwell.
Kenneth Gainwell Would Be Perfect Underrated Addition for Chiefs’ Backfield in 2026
With the Chiefs having to spend money to upgrade their defensive line, they might be inclined to go after Gainwell, who had an outstanding 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The veteran running back signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal last offseason with the Steelers, coming off a Super Bowl title with the Philadelphia Eagles. Gainwell, who served as an RB2 to start his career with the Eagles, got a unique chance to have an expanded role in the Steel City in 2025.
The 26-year-old running back showed off his impeccable rushing and receiving skills, being the perfect complement to Jaylen Warren. He posted career-highs across the board with 537 yards and five touchdowns on the ground on 114 carries.
Gainwell also averaged 2.1 yards after contact and 2.6 yards before contact. As a receiver, he posted 73 receptions (85 targets) for 486 yards and three touchdowns. If you look at the Chiefs’ RBs this past season, they weren’t doing this.
Isiah Pacheco averaged 2.2 yards before contact (tied for a career low) per rushing attempt and 1.8 yards after contact, which isn’t great. The veteran running back also got some work in the passing game as a receiver, but it wasn’t at the rate of Gainwell.
The same thing can be said for Kareem Hunt, who averaged 1.8 yards before contact and 2.0 yards after contact. Granted, the Chiefs’ offensive line had its own struggles, but the RBs did not help the cause.
This past season showed that Kansas City has to go in a different direction in the backfield. And signing Gainwell would be the first step in the right direction, who is also solid in pass protection, which is a huge plus in the eyes of Andy Reid.
Going back to his coaching days with the Eagles, Reid likes versatile running backs who aren’t a liability in pass protection.
According to Spotrac, Gainwell’s calculated market value is a two-year, $5.92 million deal ($3M AAV), while Over The Cap has his valuation at $5.3 million. It would be shocking to see Gainwell get $5M per year, but $3-$4.5 million is likely not out of the question, and the Chiefs should be all over that.
The Chiefs need multiple guys in the backfield to contribute in 2026 for them to get back to the top of the AFC mountain.