The Kansas City Chiefs had a golden opportunity at the trade deadline this season-an open lane to fix a glaring weakness-and they let it pass.
Breece Hall, the New York Jets' electric dual-threat back, was reportedly available for a third-round pick. The Chiefs, in desperate need of a spark in their ground game, were considered front-runners to land him.
But according to reports, general manager Brett Veach held firm on offering only a fourth-rounder. The deal didn’t happen, and Hall stayed put in New York.
Now, with Kansas City sitting at 6-7, the decision looms large. The Chiefs are clinging to postseason hopes by a thread, needing to win out just to have a shot-and even then, they’d need help. For a team that’s made the playoffs 10 straight years, that’s unfamiliar territory.
Let’s be clear: there was no other back on the market who could’ve offered what Hall might have-explosiveness, versatility, and a legitimate threat out of both the backfield and the slot. Hall’s ability to shift momentum on a single touch could’ve been a game-changer for an offense that’s struggled to find rhythm on the ground.
The Chiefs’ rushing attack has been pedestrian at best. Isiah Pacheco runs hard, and Kareem Hunt has shown flashes, but neither has consistently broken through the stacked boxes and defensive schemes designed to counter Kansas City’s pass-heavy identity.
And that identity? It’s no secret.
Andy Reid’s playbook has always leaned toward the air, and with Patrick Mahomes under center, it’s hard to blame him. Few quarterbacks in NFL history can process defenses and deliver the ball as quickly and accurately as Mahomes.
But the downside to that approach is starting to show.
As ESPN’s Ben Solak pointed out, no team has embraced the pass-first philosophy more than the Chiefs. Since the start of the NFL’s Next Gen Stats era in 2016, Kansas City has routinely ranked among the league leaders in pass rate over expectation. In fact, six of the top 11 pass-heaviest seasons in that database belong to the Chiefs.
That commitment to the pass has shaped how the offense operates. The Chiefs run a heavy dose of RPOs (run-pass options), which take advantage of Mahomes’ quick release and elite decision-making.
But there’s a trade-off. To run RPOs at this volume, the Chiefs live in the shotgun-over 62% of their running back carries have come from that formation this season.
That limits the run game. With the back lined up next to the quarterback, rather than behind, the offense becomes more predictable. Defenses can key in on run direction, and that’s made it harder for Kansas City’s backs to find daylight.
The result? An offense that’s become easier to defend.
If teams know you’re going to throw, and they can predict where your runs are going, it’s tough to keep them honest. That’s where a player like Hall could’ve made a real difference-not just as a runner, but as a pass-catcher who forces defenses to account for every inch of the field.
Now, the Chiefs are left wondering what could have been. The offense is still dangerous-any team with Mahomes under center always is-but it’s no longer the juggernaut we’ve grown used to seeing. And without a reliable ground game to balance things out, the margin for error has shrunk dramatically.
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier. Kansas City faces the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 in what amounts to a must-win game.
Lose, and the playoff streak likely ends. Win, and they keep hope alive-but just barely.
The Chiefs had a chance to add a dynamic piece to their offense at the deadline. They passed. Now, they’ll have to live with the consequences-and fight to extend a season that’s slipping away faster than anyone in Kansas City expected.