Kansas City Run Game Boasts One Key Element That Excites Chiefs originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
There’s no denying the Kansas City Chiefs’ run game left much to be desired last season—and there were a few factors behind that.
The big one was the injury to Isiah Pacheco in Week 2, which thrusted Kareem Hunt into the starting role, and while he performed well, there wasn’t the home-run threat that made defenses nervous.
But they might have it now after signing Elijah Mitchell from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. Having Mitchell—known for his speed—behind Patrick Mahomes will give defenses something to think about.
Mitchell missed the entire 2024 season due to a hamstring injury, but he’s back fully healthy as training camp rolls on, and he’s detailed an element of the run game that has him raring to go.
“Running the ball, catching the ball out the back-field is huge,” Mitchell said. “I did the same thing in San Francisco. So, man, I’m excited. I’m excited for it.”
Exactly what the run game will look like is unknown, but with a healthy Pacheco, Hunt, who now will have a full offseason to get in football shape, plus a rejuvenated Mitchell, there are multiple avenues the Chiefs can attack defenses with now.
Pacheco and Hunt can be the bruising runners, while Mitchell is the twinkle-toed back who can slip through a crack and then hit his head on the goal post.
The Chiefs have their doubters in 2025, but the run game might just be key in making them believers.
Related: Chiefs Fans Suffer Unfortunate News on Friday
Related: Chiefs Predicted as ‘Virtual Postseason Lock’
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.