The Kansas City Chiefs have never had a 1,000-yard rusher during the Patrick Mahomes era. Could 2023 be the season where that changes?
The Chiefs’ franchise has a storied history of developing running backs, but in recent years it has been all about the passing game in Kansas City. The last time the Chiefs offense had a 1,000-yard rusher was Kareem Hunt’s rookie season in 2017, where he led all running backs with over 1,300 rushing yards that season.
Looking at the 90-man offseason roster in Kansas City, not a single running back on the roster has recorded over 1,000 rushing yards in a single season in the NFL career. Isiah Pacheco’s 830 rushing yards on 170 attempts last season are the closest, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s 803 yards on 181 attempts in 2020 close behind. A few have produced a season with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, but none solely produced a 1,000-yard season on the ground.
Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon haven’t reached 1,000 rushing yards in a single season since their college days at LSU and Georgia Southern, respectively.
It’s tough to imagine a scenario in which the Chiefs’ offense produces a 1,000-yard rusher this season. With the team expecting Pacheco sidelined into training camp, it means they could be looking at a committee approach in the backfield to start the season. It’s possible that we see a four-man room that features each of Pacheco, McKinnon, Edwards-Helaire and rookie Deneric Prince at various junctures of the season.
So what do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? Will there be a 1,000-yard rusher in Kansas City in 2023? Let us know your thoughts about who that could be on Facebook and Twitter.
