Chiefs may have a new in-house answer at running back

Doug Farrar

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Chiefs may have a new in-house answer at running back image

Kadarius Toney could be getting more reps at running back.

Kadarius Toney was selected by the New York Giants with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft out of Florida, but things didn't work out with Big Blue, and the Giants traded Toney to Kansas City in October, 2022. Toney hasn't done too much for his second NFL team outside of the touchdown pass he caught against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. 

Now, it would appear that the Chiefs are looking to have Toney add more to the offense... as an option running back. 

There would be some precedent to this. Last season, while Toney caught just 27 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown, he also ran the ball 11 times for 31 yards and a touchdown. That doesn't sound like much, but Toney had a pair of 14-yard runs last season -- one against the Eagles in Week 11, and this one against the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. 

Isiah Pacheco is the Chiefs' primary running back, and a very good one, but Toney could add quite a bit of spice to Andy Reid's offense. 

Doug Farrar

Doug Farrar Photo

Doug Farrar has written about football for USA Today, Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018.