Jerick McKinnon Returns To Chiefs On One-Year Deal

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The Kansas City Chiefs have brought back a veteran running back into the offense. News broke on Monday that Jerick McKinnon had re-signed with the team. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it is a one-year deal between Kansas City and the Georgia Southern product.

Jerick McKinnon is returning to Kansas City. #ChiefsKingdom #FPC #NFL #NFLTwitter pic.twitter.com/hWHHHJn1lf

— Full Press NFL (@FullPressNFL) June 13, 2022

This will be McKinnon’s second campaign with the Chiefs. Though he dealt with an injury during part of last season, most of his work came on special teams during the 2021 regular season. He received occasional touches during the early portion of the season. Yet, it was not until the regular season finale, where McKinnon became a larger focal point offensively. In that game against the Denver Broncos, he notched a receiving touchdown.

His playoff run was quite exciting as well. In three postseason contests, McKinnon registered 150 rushing yards on 34 carries, good enough for a yards per carry average of 4.41. Meanwhile, he had 14 receptions on 17 targets for 165 receiving yards (11.79 yards per reception) and one receiving touchdown in those playoff games.

With his return to Kansas City, Jerick McKinnon provides an interesting wrinkle into the Chiefs’ backfield. How will this group be utilized? What will be the best-case scenario for McKinnon himself? Finally, how much trust will Kansas City put into him, among all of the other running backs? Let’s kick it off.

Best Fit For Chiefs Offense?

During the playoffs, it was quite easy to see the difference in pace that Jerick McKinnon brought to Kansas City’s backfield. He brings a springy step, along with quick, yet powerful strides. The other thing that stood out for McKinnon? That would be his decisiveness and vision in between tackles. With Darrel Williams out of the postseason with a injury, there was really no one else in that running back room that had proven themselves in that area. He simply made an impact in every phase of the game on offense. The amount of explosive plays and chunk gains that McKinnon created, only made Kansas City more well-rounded on offense in last year’s playoffs.

Because of his speed and awareness, one could argue that Jerick McKinnon may be the best fit for the Chiefs offense among the current stable of running backs. He can handle the load in tight areas. He can handle the load in between the tackles. Additionally, McKinnon can handle the task of creating extra time and space for himself in the open field. It has certainly been a while since he has been thought of as a true number one running back amidst the depth chart. Nevertheless, his style stands out above other options in the Kansas City backfield.

Kansas City’s Approach At Running Back

What will Kansas City’s approach at running back ultimately be in 2022? If there is any indication of what we saw throughout last season, it will likely remain as a running back by committee approach for the Chiefs. There is still time for Clyde Edwards-Helaire to break out within this offensive unit. However, that window is not as large as one would hope entering his third career season. Items out of his control, like usage and injuries, have also held down CEH.

It is clear that he thrives best when there is another running mate involved. Kansas City signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones earlier this offseason. Perhaps, his bruising size and powerful rushing style will allow him to receive some early down rushing opportunities. Jones will have to prove that his ball security is improved, in order to continue getting those chances, though. Moreover, he is possibly a more beneficial option for Kansas City in between the tackles, if he gets rolling.

It may not be guaranteed that Jerick McKinnon receives a healthy dose of touches or carries. After all, he was a late signing early in the summer just before the start of training camp. The playoff performance that McKinnon showed may give him a greater chance to see his numbers increase, if anything.

Beyond that, there will likely be a training camp battle between Derrick Gore and rookie Isiah Pacheco. The Chiefs have traditionally carried four running backs, not counting the fullback, under Andy Reid. If McKinnon makes the cut like some would expect, it would be down to Gore and Pacheco for who will likely see time on special teams.

Will Chiefs Ride With Hot Hand?

Even if the Chiefs opt to go with a committee approach, the other question still remains. Does Coach Reid and the offensive staff decide to ride the hot hand at running back from game to game? Rather than doing that, Kansas City has largely kept the running backs defined in their specific roles on the depth chart. There is a bright side for McKinnon if the Chiefs go with a hot hand, however.

We mentioned his speed and awareness attributes already. On top of that, his pass blocking and pass catching looked to be extremely sound in the postseason last year. Edwards-Helaire is still looking to find consistent footing as a pass catcher. Whereas with Jones, his drops and questionable ball skills limited his pass catching opportunities in Tampa Bay.

Overall, Jerick McKinnon could turn out to be a bargain re-signing for the Chiefs in 2022. The team just does not have another running back with his type of makeup. Ultimately, it will be up to the coaching staff to decide how to handle a logjam at running back. Will they stay true to their old ways? Or, does McKinnon have a higher spot on the food chain, after the playoffs?

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles in the coming days. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.