While the trading of wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins doesn’t necessarily signal major philosophical changes to the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense, the team is poised to have a different look in 2022.
The signing of larger wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster at least positions them to employ a more physical ground game. Of course, when you have Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and arguably the NFL’s top tight end in Travis Kelce — not to mention historically pass-happy head coach Andy Reid — one still figures handing off will be Plan B.
Kansas City’s receiver overhaul garnered most of the offseason attention, but they didn’t play a pat hand in the backfield, either. Gone is Darrel Williams, last season’s leading rusher signed with the Arizona Cardinals in May, replaced by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II, who fell behind Leonard Fournette last season. The team also re-signed Jerick McKinnon and drafted Rutgers’ Isaih Pacheco in the seventh round.
With a lot of changes happening in Kansas City, let’s look at the team’s running back room to see how Reid might divvy up the touches in 2022.