Kansas City Chiefs Rely on Rookie Running Back Duo Amid Injury Challenges

The Kansas City Chiefs have embarked on the 2024-25 NFL season with a strategic shift in their offensive dynamics. Faced with an evolving scheme less reliant on explosive aerial assaults, the Chiefs have turned to a robust ground game as the cornerstone of their attack. This commitment to running the ball has prominently featured former seventh-round halfback Isiah Pacheco, who thrived on a shared workload last season. In the first two games of this season, Pacheco registered a combined 34 carries and was targeted seven times in the passing game, making his recent absence a notable setback.

In lieu of trading for a high-caliber alternative or panicking under pressure, Kansas City chose to depend on its existing roster during Week 3’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. This gamble yielded dividends as rookie Carson Steele and seasoned backup Samaje Perine rose to the occasion. Head coach Andy Reid praised the contributions of Steele, saying, “Steele jumps in for Pacheco and between he, Perine, and Keaontay Ingram, they put together a nice game. Steele had 17 carries for 72 yards; not bad for your rookie debut.” Steele, who graduated from Ball State and UCLA, joined the Chiefs despite an unimpressive pre-draft process, later securing a roster spot after showing promise in preseason games.

Before the third game, Steele had accumulated just 27 yards on nine attempts, making his 72-yard performance on Sunday a considerable improvement. Perine, possessing ample experience as a backup player, complemented Steele’s style, contributing 25 yards on six carries and catching three passes for 15 yards. Collectively, the Chiefs ran the ball 33 times for 128 yards, with some kneels at the game’s end impacting their yards-per-carry statistics negatively.

Patrick Mahomes expressed confidence in the team’s newfound strategy. “I’m not,” Mahomes said concerning the Chiefs’ successful start. “I think both of those guys have practiced hard and have a lot of trust there. Obviously, you lose some of the juice that Isiah has. I mean, there are not a lot of people that are that fired up after every run and can run like that. I thought the guys did a great job and then at the end of the day, I think the O-line took it upon themselves to accept the challenge.”

With Pacheco placed on the injured reserve and a delay in activating Clyde Edwards-Helaire from the Non-Football Injury list, the Chiefs reached an agreement with free agent Kareem Hunt to return to the team. However, there was insufficient preparation time to activate Hunt for Week 3. Regardless, Steele and Perine’s performances provided reassurance. “It’s always a bad thing when a player gets banged up,” noted Reid, “but it’s that next-man-up mentality.”

Despite Steele’s earlier struggles, including a fumble during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, the Chiefs showed unwavering confidence in him, aiding his growth as an undrafted rookie. “Being an undrafted guy coming in, it was kind of a hard thing,” Steele remarked, “but just like you were saying, the confidence, you know, they trusted in me.”

The Chiefs hope to continue their momentum as the season progresses, relying on their adaptability and the developing confidence of their roster’s depth.