The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into the offseason with one glaring issue they can’t afford to keep brushing aside: the backfield. For a team that’s built its identity around offensive firepower, the running back room has become more of a liability than a weapon. And now, with Patrick Mahomes managing the aftermath of a significant knee injury, the urgency to find a legitimate difference-maker in the run game has never been greater.
Enter Travis Etienne.
While much of the offseason buzz has centered around names like Breece Hall, there’s a compelling case to be made for Etienne as a perfect fit in Kansas City. He hasn’t been linked to the Chiefs as heavily, but make no mistake - he checks a lot of boxes for what this offense needs right now.
Etienne, a former first-round pick out of Clemson, was originally drafted by the Jaguars with the idea of pairing him long-term with Trevor Lawrence. And while his rookie season was wiped out by injury, he’s more than made up for lost time.
In 2022, he racked up over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. He followed that up with an even stronger 2023 campaign, again topping 1,400 scrimmage yards and boosting his touchdown total to 12.
This past season? Career-high 13 total touchdowns.
That’s three straight seasons of high-end production from a back who’s proven he can handle a full workload and be a true dual-threat weapon.
That’s exactly what the Chiefs have been missing.
Kansas City has tried to patch together a backfield with a mix of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, but both are set to hit free agency - and even when healthy, neither has consistently delivered the kind of dynamic presence that forces defenses to respect the run. Too often, Mahomes has had to carry the offense on his shoulders, even when it’s clear he could use more help.
Adding Etienne would give the Chiefs a legitimate three-down back who can run between the tackles, bounce outside, and catch passes out of the backfield. He’s the kind of player who keeps defenses honest - and that’s a game-changer when you’ve got a quarterback like Mahomes who thrives when the field opens up.
Sure, Breece Hall is younger and arguably flashier, but that likely comes with a higher price tag. Etienne brings comparable production, more experience, and a proven ability to stay on the field and contribute. For a team like Kansas City, which is always in win-now mode, that matters.
Bottom line: the Chiefs can’t afford to roll into 2025 with the same questions in the backfield. Whether it’s Etienne or someone else, they need a running back who can not only complement Mahomes but also take some of the weight off his shoulders. Etienne fits that mold - and if Kansas City makes a move, it could be the spark that reignites their ground game and elevates the offense back to elite status.