The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of question marks entering the 2026 offseason, one of which comes at running back.
Both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are slated to be free agents and the Chiefs could use an upgrade at the position after both failed to do much in 2025.
Kansas City's rushing attack was abysmal, ranking 25th in the NFL. Poor blocking upfront no doubt played a role in that, but neither back is a true difference-maker and both finished with a yards per carry average under four.
Knowing that, Sportsnaut's Matt Johnson predicts the Chiefs will sign Jacksonville Jaguars pending free-agent running back, Travis Etienne.
Here's Johnson's thoughts on his prediction:
Considering that Breece Hall is expected to command upwards of $12 million per season on a multi-year deal, we don’t believe he’ll be in the price range Brett Veach is willing to pay. However, someone like Travis Etienne could be a slightly more cost-effective option for the Kansas City Chiefs. Ahead of his age-27 season, Etienne effectively has three seasons with 1,400-plus scrimmage yards and nine-plus total touchdowns but he was a bit inconsistent in 2025 (10 games under 4.0 ypc) and Jacksonville has running backs ready to replace him. Etienne would have an opportunity to be the primary running back in Andy Reid’s offense, while also function as a checkdown option for Patrick Mahomes in his first season back from an ACL tear. A fairly lucrative one-year contract helps the Chiefs offense and could position Etienne for another payday in 2027.
With the Jaguars having drafted running back Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, there's a good chance Jacksonville could let Etienne walk and hand the reins of the backfield over to the Virginia Tech product.
Etienne is coming off a stellar season that saw him tally nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage, including 1,107 on the ground and 292 through the air.
In Etienne, the Chiefs would be getting a running back who can make an impact as both a runner and receiver, and he's more explosive than both Hunt and Pacheco.
According to Spotrac, Etienne is projected to receive a two-year, $13.6 million deal in free agency, so he would be a cost-effective option, something the cap-strapped Chiefs need as the team prepares to enter the offseason projected to be $58.1 million over the salary cap.
While we would love to see the Chiefs draft Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, there is no guarantee he will be on the board when Kansas City is on the clock.
Signing Etienne would give the Chiefs a strong insurance policy in the event they can't land Love, and we don't think signing the Jaguars back would preclude the Chiefs from drafting the Notre Dame superstar.
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