At 5-foot-9 and 201 pounds, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon isn’t an imposing physical presence. Until it’s time to block, which is when the veteran lets his internal Bronko Nagurski out, to the detriment of defenders.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun found this out the hard way in the third quarter of the Chiefs’ divisional-round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Oluokun came in on a blitz, and McKinnon just blew him right out of the play.
Heck of a blitz pickup by McKinnon pic.twitter.com/kxTG0ufsPF
— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) January 21, 2023
It’s all in a day’s work for McKinnon, who prides himself on being an every-down back. He ended the regular season least with at least one touchdown catch in six straight games — no running back since at least 1970 had ever done that before, and his nine touchdown receptions this season is tied for the most since 1970, along with Marshall Faulk (2001), Chuck Foreman (1975), and Leroy Hoard (1991). Only Washington’s Charley Taylor, who had 12 touchdown catches in 1966, had more among running backs in pro football history, and like McKinnon, Taylor split his time between runner and receiver.
Not bad for an option quarterback in college, who had bit roles with the Vikings, lost two seasons to a knee injury with the 49ers, and started to find his way back with the Chiefs.
McKinnon’s primary quarterback has noticed McKinnon’s attention to the seemingly little things.
“It’s not like he’s looking for the glory or the praise,” Patrick Mahomes said a few weeks back. “He just comes to work every single day with a smile on his face and he brings the energy. You ask anybody in the locker room, he’s probably one of, if not the favorite guy in the locker room. Everybody loves him, and that’s the type of guy he is, and it’s good to see that it’s paying off, all the hard work that he’s doing. And hopefully he can keep scoring touchdowns.”
If not, he can certainly lay the wood so that others can score.