The Kansas City Chiefs head into the 2026 offseason with a few major needs, including their backfield.
The Chiefs got only spotty contributions from their running backs last year, which put increasing pressure on the passing game and led to a late-season slump that allowed the team to drop to 6-11 and miss the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Help could be on the way, however, with one NFL analyst predicting they will add a veteran running back with a track record of success.
Chiefs Predicted to Add Running Back in Free Agency
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine broke down what he called “perfect” free agency additions for all 32 NFL teams, suggesting the Chiefs could land running back Travis Etienne Jr. Ballentine wrote that Etienne could be a cost-effective addition for a team in desperate need of steady running backs.
“The Chiefs are a little light on cash, but they need to make impact signings after going 6-11 last season,” Ballentine wrote. “The Chiefs run game lacked explosiveness and they’ll have to reconstruct the backfield with both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt headed for free agency.”
Etienne’s versatility could make him a good addition for the Chiefs, Ballentine added.
“Travis Etienne Jr. would add some dynamic running to the backfield,” Ballentine wrote. “His ability to create yardage beyond his blocking shows up well in advanced metrics on PlayerProfiler, even if he wasn’t at the very top of the league last season. His receiving ability would allow Andy Reid to get creative with him coming out of the backfield.”
Options Could Be Growing Limited
Ballentine suggested that the presence of veteran running backs Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall on the free agency market could drive down the price for Etienne, but those dynamics could be changing.
New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey said this week that the team intends to keep Hall, and could be prepared to use the franchise tag if it means preventing him from hitting free agency.
“Ideally, we’d find a way to get a deal done and keep Breece around,” Mougey told reporters at the combine on Tuesday, via ESPN. “I’ve said that for the past year since I got here. Breece is a good player, and we want to find a way to keep him around.
“We’ve been going through that process and are still doing so. We have a week to find out, if we can’t get to an agreement, which way we’ll go with the tag.”
Some analysts have suggested the Chiefs could find their answer to the running game in the upcoming NFL Draft. Former NFL front office executive Mike Tannenbaum suggested on a February 13 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up” that Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love would be a great addition with the team’s No. 9 overall pick.
“Nobody had less explosive plays from the running back position than the Kansas City Chiefs,” Tannenbaum said. “This is an ideal fit running the ball [and] out of the backfield. Again, Patrick Mahomes will be Superman, but not from day one. Go get a young skill player with explosiveness. Draft Jeremiyah Love.”
