The Kansas City Chiefs have seemingly missed out on another opportunity to sign a free agent, this time missing out on a pass-catching running back.
The team who bested the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to terms with RB Giovani Bernard on a one-year deal. Bernard, of course, had one other suitor in free agency. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, that suitor was the Chiefs.
It doesn’t seem like the decision would be too tough on a player in the proper context. On one hand, you have the loser of the latest Super Bowl and on the other the winner. Texting pictures of the Lombardi Trophy loses its luster when the team you’re competing against can text a more recent picture of the Lombardi Trophy.
James White had interest in joining Tom Brady and the #Bucs as their third-down back before re-signing with the #Patriots. Instead, it’s the newly available Gio Bernard. He had interest from TB and the #Chiefs, but ends up in Tampa Bay. https://t.co/OjMJY9lxTp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 12, 2021
The Bengals selected Berned in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He’s since appeared in a total of 115 games for Cincinnati over the past eight seasons. During that span, Bernard recorded over 6,500 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns.
Frankly, the interest in Bernard seems rather strange given the fact that the Chiefs released Super Bowl LIV hero, RB Damien Williams, at the onset of the free agency period. Even at a league minimum, Bernard would make a very similar salary. Bernard is certainly known as one of the top receiving backs in the league, with 342 career receptions. I still have a hard time believing this was anything other than a passing interest in a player who fits the scheme in Kansas City.
This does tell us that the Chiefs at least have some interest in adding a running back with experience catching the ball. That could be an important thing to consider come Day 3 of the 2021 NFL draft.
