Kareem Hunt made a significant impact in the Chiefs’ Week 4 victory over the Chargers, and the offensive players are pleased to see him excel in his return.
For the second consecutive week, the Kansas City Chiefs had a backfield player rise to the occasion with Isiah Pacheco sidelined due to a broken fibula. After rookie fullback Carson Steele impressed with 72 yards in the previous game against the Atlanta Falcons, Hunt shined in this weekend’s clash against the Los Angeles Chargers.
In his first game back with the Chiefs, the familiar face of Hunt stepped up, especially after Steele’s fumble on the opening drive. Head coach Andy Reid stated that while he doesn’t see Steele any differently, the game’s circumstances naturally shifted the focus to the veteran running back.
“With playing Kareem more, I just kind of went with the hot hand,” Reid explained. “I’m not down on Carson. He had the fumble; he’ll figure that out. We’re lucky to have three good guys in there. (Samaje) Perine had a touchdown and had some nice runs for us, too. We’re in good shape at that position.”
Steele finished the game with just two carries for six yards and one target without a reception. Perine managed 14 rushing yards, but Hunt truly stole the spotlight. In his season debut, the 29-year-old rushed 14 times for 69 yards, leading all Chiefs players in both categories by a significant margin.
Additionally, Hunt contributed 16 receiving yards, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes expressed his satisfaction with Hunt’s performance. He appreciated Hunt’s ability to seamlessly integrate back into an offense he previously thrived in.
“I thought he did a great job,” Mahomes remarked. “For someone to come into an offense — I know it’s an offense he’d been in, but an offense he hadn’t played in years — to be able to run the football hard, get well-earned yards, and catch the ball out of the backfield, it was good to see. I’m just glad (Brett) Veach is building a great running back room and that we can get guys to step up and make plays while Isiah’s not here.”
Mahomes believes that there’s even more to come from Hunt, whose tough running style sets a strong tone for the team.
“He’s always been a guy who runs tough,” Mahomes noted. “He’s hard to tackle, and you could see that. He’s going to make sure he finishes every single run and falls forward, and I think that was good to see. I think he’ll get more and more comfortable as the year goes on, and he’ll have a role in our offense.”
According to rbsdm.com, the Chiefs averaged an EPA (Expected Points Added) of 0.01 per play when Hunt was given the ball. For context, Chargers running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards had notably negative averages, highlighting Hunt’s effectiveness. He consistently gained five or more yards on many carries, contributing to moving the chains effectively, which made for a better debut than many anticipated.
Even wide receiver Xavier Worthy is excited about Hunt’s return, stating, “He ran hard. Man, with Pacheco being out and him running the ball how he did, there are going to be big games coming up for him.”
As the season progresses, the Chiefs are optimistic about their running back corps, which seems poised to thrive even in the absence of their star player, Pacheco. Hunt’s performance signals a promising outlook for Kansas City as they navigate the challenges ahead.
