The Kansas City Chiefs‘ major weaknesses were exposed in 2025. With the offense not hitting big plays at a consistent rate and the ball not bouncing the team’s way like in years past, head coach Andy Reid endured his worst season at the helm of the Chiefs – by a mile.
Heading into 2026, there are still more questions than answers for Reid and the Chiefs front office. Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a major knee injury, Travis Kelce is expected back but hasn’t confirmed his return, and the roster has plenty of holes to fill. With Eric Bieniemy coming in as the new offensive coordinator, in place of Matt Nagy, it’s fair to wonder what the Chiefs offense will look like next season.
Given that Bieniemy was a running back during his playing days and spent the first decade-and-a-half of his coaching career as a running backs coach, there’s expected to be a renewed emphasis on the position in his offense. That has many, once again, expecting the Chiefs to invest some capital in bringing in a talented running back.
Kansas City had flirted with trading for New York Jets RB Breece Hall during last season’s trade deadline, but opted against giving up draft capital to do so. That turned out to be the correct decision. Hall is scheduled to be a free agent, but it’s looking likely that the Jets will slap the franchise tag on Hall.
Chiefs could turn attention to Travis Etienne if Breece Hall gets franchise tag
That would have the Chiefs looking at other options at running back, which could lead them to Travis Etienne. ESPN’s Matt Bowen opines that the Chiefs are the best fit for Etienne, who will be an unrestricted free agent.
“Etienne has the play speed to upgrade a Chiefs run game that ranked 25th last season (106.6 yards per game). And with his dual-threat ability as a pass catcher, Etienne would be schemed on screens and backfield releases in coach Andy Reid’s system. This is a move to add more juice and big-play ability to the Kansas City offense. Etienne’s 26 rushes of 10 or more yards with Jacksonville tied for 12th in the NFL last season.“
It’s tough to argue with Bowen’s analysis. The Chiefs desperately need more speed and playmaking ability from the running back position – and also from their pass-catchers. Kansas City hasn’t had a true game-breaking, speedy running back since Jamaal Charles.
Charles spent nine seasons with the Chiefs, surpassing 1,324 yards from scrimmage in five seasons. Injuries played a pivotal role in keeping him from hitting legendary status. But he was named a First-Team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl in both of Reid’s first two seasons as Chiefs head coach. Etienne is cut from a similar cloth in terms of being able to break off long runs and sprinting past defenders.
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