With free agency approaching, the Kansas City Chiefs will be on a mission to upgrade their backfield. Isiah Pacheco is likely to leave when the market opens next week. While there’s a small chance Kareem Hunt could return, the Chiefs will have to be creative when it comes to the future of this room, looking for ways to not only boost their starting running back position but also the depth behind it.
Fortunately for Kansas City fans, the front office may have had an option drop right in front of them.Â
According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, the Arizona Cardinals will not offer a tender to restricted free agent Emari Demercado. A former UDFA out of TCU, Demercado isn’t going to fill the starting job after totaling 819 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the Cardinals. However, he could be a solid addition that could help the Chiefs post a better rushing attack in 2026.
Emari Demercado Could Add Missing Element to Chiefs' Backfield
Although there are a lot of flaws to Demercado's game, including a costly fumble that wiped away a touchdown last season, he’s shown some physicality, averaging 5.52 yards per carry after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. He also has an explosive element with five breakaway runs, defined by PFF as designed runs of 15 yards or more. This, in particular, is an area where the Chiefs are looking to add to the backfield this season, making the former Cardinal a name to watch.
By comparison, the Chiefs had five breakaway runs as a team last season, with wide receiver Xavier Worthy responsible for two of them. Those runs also accounted for just 6.5 percent of their total rushing yardage (1,812), which was a big reason why Kansas City’s offense ranked 25th with 106.6 yards per game.
The Chiefs' depth chart looks pretty bare with the expected departures of Pacheco and Hunt. Brashard Smith had a disappointing rookie season with 44 carries for 151 scoreless yards, and Kansas City doesn’t seem sold on Dameon Pierce, who was signed to their practice squad after his release from the Houston Texans on Nov. 23. This is why Demercado becoming available at this time is an intriguing development.
Putting Demercado into a starting role isn’t recommended, but he could be part of a running back room that should look much different than the one that performed well below expectations in 2025. With the possibility of signing an impact player in free agency or adding one through the draft to become the starter, adding Demercado would be another step in the right direction and help the Chiefs do more on the ground next season.
All hope shouldn't be lost with last year's draft pick, either. There is a chance Smith could improve in his second season, as it will only be his third year as a full-time running back overall after converting from wide receiver during his collegiate days. But the Chiefs would be wise to house a group of running backs and add players with more upside than their predecessors in Kansas City.