Early in the 2025-26 season, the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in rare territory. They’re 0-2 for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, and things simply don’t seem to be clicking on either side of the ball.
It doesn’t stem from a lack of effort on Mahomes’ part. The two-time NFL MVP has stepped up on several offensive series through two weeks, but Kansas City is lacking elsewhere. One glaring red flag entering Week 3 is a terrible non-Mahomes run game.
That’s a focal point nationally ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. In a September 17 story for ESPN, insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano explained what has the Chiefs “puzzled” about the running back room.
Graziano: Chiefs ‘Puzzled’ With Run Game Struggles Early in Season
According to Graziano, the reigning AFC champs are stunned by Isiah Pacheco not producing as expected.
“But in the meantime, Kansas City remains puzzled by its struggles in the run game,” Graziano wrote. “The team believed that Isiah Pacheco was running like his old self in camp and that he would be productive right out of the gate; he has not been.”
A quick look at advanced stats indicates that the Chiefs run the ball just fine. According to SumerSports, they’re second in the sport in EPA per rush. They also have a relatively healthy number of explosive runs ahead of Week 3. That narrative quickly comes crashing down when realizing where the production comes from, though.
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Through two games, Mahomes has 123 rushing yards to Pacheco and Kareem Hunt‘s 47 apiece. Pacheco, now on the other side of an injury-riddled 2024, had just five rush attempts in Week 1. In last Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he toted the ball 10 times but mustered only 22 yards.
The fourth-year man has been a problem. He’s not elusive, nor does he create many more yards than anticipated before or after contact. Hunt, for as good as he is in short-yardage situations, has little juice left. This is the reality the Chiefs find themselves facing.
Could Kansas City Shift to Rookie Brashard Smith in Due Time?
With that in mind, could change be on the horizon? Graziano left the door open for rookie Brashard Smith to eventually get more involved if no improvement occurs elsewhere.
“The Chiefs need to find ways to generate more productive offense with him and Kareem Hunt, or else don’t be surprised if at some point soon rookie Brashard Smith gets a shot,” Graziano wrote. “They view him as a different kind of back from those two — more of a receiver type who can make explosive plays in space. Once they trust the rookie to handle all of the running back responsibilities, he could be a factor in their offense. Kansas City was very impressed with him in camp.”
Smith, a seventh-round pick back in April, is a converted wide receiver. His pass-catching chops and special teams acumen flashed during the offseason, creating quite the hype train during training camp. He then made the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster and has been active on game days over veteran Elijah Mitchell. Considering Kansas City spent real capital to get Mitchell in free agency, their actions signal that they value Smith more.
That has yet to materialize via on-field output. In two games, the SMU product has a single carry for a gain of two yards. He’s played 13 offensive snaps.
Perhaps a larger sample size helps the Chiefs calm their nerves about the running back room. The offensive line isn’t doing them any favors right now. In-game play-calling decisions aren’t, either. At the end of the day, however, this is the group general manager Brett Veach opted to roll with.
Time will tell whether it’s enough to get the offense back on track.
