Exclusive: Chiefs Will Sign RB To Fill ‘Key’ Role

The Kansas City Chiefs hope to make history by winning three Super Bowls in a row.

To achieve that goal, they may need to take a deeper look at their running back room.

While Isiah Pacheco appears to be the team’s starting running back and Clyde Edwards-Helaire appears to be the backup, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay urged Kansas City to sign former Buffalo Bills running back Latavius Murray.

Kay described Kansas City as a “realistic landing spot” for the veteran, who is now a free agency after signing a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Buffalo.

“Murray may not be a full-time starter anymore, but at the age of 34, he still has something to offer NFL teams,” Kay stated. The commentator urged the Chiefs to “give Murray a call as they look to bolster their roster” in hopes of winning another championship.

Latavius Murray Rushing TD (4) pic.twitter.com/9wWGxumRU1

— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVideos2023) December 17, 2023

“So far, Kansas City has declined to bring back fellow veteran Jerick McKinnon after his three-year stay at Arrowhead. Without McKinnon, the Chiefs might benefit from a reliable backup to starter Isiah Pacheco. Murray’s ability to learn a new scheme and contribute effectively might be vital to a squad that will be under constant pressure and cannot afford to make mistakes in 2024.”

Murray participated in 16 games last season, starting four of them. Murray ran 79 times for 300 yards and four touchdowns, trailing just James Cook. The veteran also has 17 catches for 119 yards.

While Murray started well, a few costly mistakes moved him down the Bills’ depth chart by the end of the season. Entering his 11th season in the NFL, the UCF alum is determined to prove that age is only a number. “I’m not done,” he told Go Long’s Tyler Dunne. “Definitely not done.”

Latavius Murray Could Help Fill the Chiefs Pass-Blocking Void at RB

SI’s Zack Eisen advised Kansas City to “sort out the RB3 situation before the season starts.” While Edwards-Helaire is a “capable reserve” in case Pacheco misses any time, “he no longer has the upside that was once promised.”

While Louis Rees-Zammit has received high acclaim during OTAs, the former rugby standout “has a huge learning curve ahead of him, making it unlikely that he will be a serious contributor on offense this season,” Eisen wrote.

McKinnon offered “excellent pass protection” while “that skill is the thing the Chiefs miss the most on the current running back depth chart.”

Murray, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound running back known for taking up blitzes, might help address that vacuum. According to Kay, Murray has now run for at least 300 yards and four touchdowns in ten consecutive seasons. He’s done so while providing excellent pass protection and value as a receiver, with at least 15 catches and 100 receiving yards in all but one season.”

Chiefs News: GM Brett Veach Left the Door Wide Open for Competition at RB3

New #Chiefs UDFA RB Emani Bailey brings a physical & no-nonsense running style, making him a valuable asset to the team’s RB room. Excels in 3rd-down situations & possesses dynamic traits like explosiveness, speed, receiving ability, & lateral agility. pic.twitter.com/VuzbbZTHcq

— P-Mac McGruder (@ChiefsFan4Lyfe) April 28, 2024

While the Chiefs did not choose a running back in the 2024 NFL draft, they did acquire some promising prospects. Two undrafted free agents, former TCU running back Emani Bailey and UCLA alum Carson Steele, have a legitimate chance of making the 53-man roster.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach hinted to a serious competition for the position. “That running back position will be a battle and usually it comes down to special teams and pass protector as a number three here, so I think all these guys have traits we like and now it’s just a matter of a couple of those guys putting together a solid training camp,” Veach told SI’s Jordan Foote.

“From a talent perspective, as you mentioned with Bailey and Steele we brought in and then last year (Deneric) Prince and Keaontay Ingram, all of those guys have talent and ability to play in this league,” Veach said. “Now it’s just a matter of who can put together a solid training camp and earn the position.”