Kansas City Chiefs’ run game hits new high in Mahomes era

LAS VEGAS — Kareem Hunt had modest expectations for himself when he rejoined the Kansas City Chiefs last month after a six-year break.

“My goal was to get back in football shape and just go out there and give it everything I got, and any opportunity I get, make the most of it,” Hunt said. “I do believe that I’ve done that.”

Hunt has actually done more than that. He’s brought the Chiefs’ running game to life.

The Chiefs are averaging 122 rushing yards per game, their best since 2015, better than any season since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback. The improved running game is one of the biggest reasons the Chiefs are 7-0 and the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten team, particularly in a season when Mahomes has thrown more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes (eight) and the Chiefs have gone through a rash of injuries at wide receiver.

Statistically, Hunt and the running game weren’t great in Sunday’s 27-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Hunt rushed for 59 yards on 21 carries.

But Hunt, who scored the Chiefs’ first touchdown on a one-yard run, was effective enough.

“There wasn’t a lot of room in there, so that’s OK,” coach Andy Reid said of Hunt’s statistical day. “He pounds it in there and normally he’s going forward, so that’s a good thing.”

Hunt led the NFL in rushing as a rookie for the Chiefs in 2017 and was having another big season the following year when he was released. But the Chiefs didn’t average as many rushing yards in those seasons as they are this year (118.9 in 2017 and 115.9 in 2018).

It’s also happening after the Chiefs expected to get more big plays from their passing game, which hasn’t been what the team hoped after several key receivers went down with injuries. But the spike in the run game has made up for the lack of big plays. That’s in large part because of the arrival of Hunt, who was signed when the Chiefs lost Isiah Pacheco to a broken leg. Hunt has 84 carries in four games, or 21 per game.

“I can’t imagine what he feels like on a Monday,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said of Hunt’s heavy workload. “It cannot feel very good, but it’s a sacrifice he does for this team. He’s loving it. We’re loving handing him the ball. The offensive line is blocking their tail off with the tight ends. It’s a really good thing for the offense right now.

“I was here with him in ’17 and he reminds me a lot of that same player. We love where he’s at. He’s physical, and usually when we ask him to get three, he gets us four. And when we ask him to get four, he gets five.”

The Chiefs are running well with a group of backs that went largely unwanted by other teams when they arrived. Hunt was a free agent all summer. Samaje Perine was released after training camp by the Denver Broncos. Carson Steele is an undrafted rookie.

Even Pacheco came to the Chiefs as a seventh-round draft pick in 2022.

“[Hunt] is just a different style,” Reid said. “They’re all actually different, but he has got that pound-it-in-at-you style and it’s helped us that way. So you lose a great player like we did with Pacheco and these other guys step up and Kareem comes off the street and helps us out. That’s great. And we still have [Clyde Edwards-Helaire] sitting back there, who was a great player too.”

It’s mostly been Hunt’s position. Steele had two carries and Perine two pass receptions against the Raiders, but otherwise Hunt has been carrying the workload.

“He’s done a great job of getting what’s there and then making plays when his number’s called,” Mahomes said. “It seems like every single time he’s falling forward and getting five yards, six yards, whatever it is. That makes my job easier at the quarterback position and for the offense in general when you’re in those advantageous situations with down and distance.

“As we start getting more and more guys back and healthier, he might not have to have 30 carries, [but] whenever he gets the opportunity, he’s going to go out there and make it count.”