Rarely do you see a beat writer go with the word “need,” but here we are. Kansas City clearly had no juice in the running game all last season as Pacheco struggled to run the same after returning from a broken leg. Kareem Hunt was a steady veteran pounder but couldn’t hit a second gear. Taylor notes that Brett Veach has been quoted as saying running backs in Andy Reid’s offense “need to be a better receiver than a runner” and ties them to Georgia back Trevor Etienne.

Robinson was a fourth-round pick of the Vikings back in 2021, but injuries slowed him early in his career, as he didn’t play in his first game until 2023. He appeared in six games for the Raiders in 2023 and played in 10 games while making one start last season. In 16 career games, Robinson has totaled 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. It’s safe to say he’ll need to battle to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster this offseason.

“We’ll see,” Reid ominously added. “He’s working his tail off right now, I know.” Rice’s Week 4 LCL tear puts him in a better spot than a few other notable injury returners this season, but we wouldn’t be shocked if he was brought along slowly in training camp. With Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy back for a second season together, the Chiefs have the luxury of slowly working Rice in. Still, this is a great update for Rice, who was on track for a breakout season with a 24/288/2 line in four games before suffering the injury.

The 26-year-old returns for a fourth season in Kansas City on a one-year deal worth $3.2 million, per Over the Cap. In 2024, Johnson appeared in 16 games during the regular season, and made two starts in the playoffs. He posted a career-high 53 tackles, along with one sack and three passes defensed. However, he was the lowest-graded defensive back for the Chiefs last season, according to PFF.