The running back corps of the Kansas City Chiefs is undeniably led by Isiah Pacheco, but as they head into the 2024 NFL offseason, the group appears to be somewhat depleted.
Pacheco stands as the primary figure, yet the team faces the impending free agency of his main backups, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon, once the new league year kicks off. This means that within a month, Pacheco might find himself as the sole experienced halfback in the mix. While there are promising talents like La’Mical Perine, Keaontay Ingram, and Deneric Prince in supporting roles, their potential contributions may not be guaranteed.
If the Chiefs decide to let go of one or both of their more established contributors, it would be prudent to seek replacements. ESPN staff writer Matt Bowen, in his top 50 free agents list, suggests that Kansas City would be an ideal landing spot for a familiar rival. He highlights former Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler as a fitting choice:
Given Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon’s impending free agency, the Chiefs could opt to sign Ekeler to a short-term contract, allowing him to rotate with Isiah Pacheco. This move would provide coach Andy Reid with a pass-catching threat out of the backfield, particularly in 21 personnel sets, and Ekeler’s versatility would enable him to line up flexibly. Last season, Ekeler caught 51 passes with the Chargers, boasting a career total of 440 receptions. Alternatively, Ekeler could re-sign with the Chargers or join the Raiders, both of which would also suit his skill set.
Ekeler, who will be 29 in May, has spent his entire seven-year career with the Los Angeles Chargers. In his 103 regular-season appearances, the former undrafted free agent has amassed 4,355 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns on 990 carries. Additionally, he has contributed 3,884 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
Few players can match Ekeler’s versatility and impact as both a complementary rusher and a game-changing receiving threat. In both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he surpassed 900 rushing yards with a minimum of 12 touchdowns, while also recording over 600 receiving yards and at least five receiving touchdowns. (To provide context, Jerick McKinnon had 512 receiving yards during his notable 2022 campaign.) Across these 33 games, Ekeler accumulated 38 all-purpose touchdowns and earned one top-10 finish in Offensive Player of the Year voting, all while playing roughly 65% of offensive snaps.
The 2023 season proved challenging for Ekeler, as he battled injuries and saw a decline in performance. He missed three of the Chargers’ first four games and struggled to maintain his usual production, averaging just three yards per carry and scoring only once from Week 12 to Week 18. During this period, some questioned the wisdom of the Chargers’ decision not to extend his contract.
Doubts about Ekeler’s remaining effectiveness linger, reflected in varying estimates of his free agent value. Valuations from sources like OverTheCap, Pro Football Focus, and Spotrac range from $5.7 million to $7.4 million per year on average. Considering that McKinnon and Edwards-Helaire combined for a 2023 cap hit of just over $4.5 million, even the lower end of these projections suggests that signing Ekeler with the Chiefs would be a somewhat luxurious move. If he can rebound in the upcoming season, Ekeler could serve as an excellent backup to Pacheco, helping to keep the workload manageable for the former seventh-round pick throughout a grueling season.
However, given Kansas City’s salary cap situation and recent investments in the practice squad, opting for a more cost-effective alternative might be a wiser choice.
