New Chiefs Arrival Expected to Play in Week 1 Despite Short Turnaround
By Jovan Alford
The Kansas City Chiefs made a shocking addition to their 53-man roster late last week, signing former Denver Broncos running back Samaje Perine. Perine gives the Chiefs a quality RB2/RB3 in the backfield behind starter Isiah Pacheco.
Kansas City is set to open up the 2024 regular season on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens, leaving some fans to wonder if Perine will suit up in Week 1. On Sunday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave reporters an exciting update on the veteran running back.
According to Nate Taylor of the Athletic, Reid told reporters that he expects Perine to play in the regular season opener against the Ravens.
Andy Reid said he expects Samaje Perine, who joined the team last week, to play in Thursday's game against the Ravens.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) September 1, 2024
With Perine just joining the team, it remains to be seen how much the 28-year-old running back will play. However, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Kansas City give him more snaps than Clyde Edwards-Helaire as Perine is a tremendous pass catcher out of the backfield.
Last season with the Broncos, Perine posted a career-high 50 receptions (56 targets) for 455 yards. In addition to his success in Denver’s passing game, the veteran running back ran for 238 yards and a touchdown on 53 carries.
Chiefs fans shouldn’t have huge expectations for Perine as he’s still learning the playbook after joining the team after cutdown day. Kansas City will likely give a bulk of its carries to Pacheco and preseason star Carson Steele.
However, if Perine can make at least 1 or 2 positive plays, it could change the direction of Thursday night’s opener.
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