The Kansas City Chiefs have become synonymous with a high-octane offense in recent years. The 2025 season has been a step back for the team, as they have faced unprecedented struggles.
Part of the problem has been injuries and a suspension keeping key players off the field. Kansas City has lacked a big playmaker, and that includes the backfield. The Chiefs haven't been able to establish a reliable run game to help support their passing attack. Kansas City has been splitting carries between Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, with neither back being able to take firm control of the starting running back role.
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Here is more on the Chiefs' running back depth chart, including why Hunt and Pacheco are splitting the backfield work.
Who is the Chiefs starting RB?
Kansas City lists Pacheco as its starting running back on its official depth chart. Hunt is second, though the way the stats and usage has played out, they are a 1a/1b situation in a split backfield. Pacheco has played 52.4% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in 2025, while Hunt has played 40%.
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Chiefs RB depth chart
Position Player Name
1 Isiah Pacheco
2 Kareem Hunt
3 Elijah Mitchell
4 Brashard Smith
Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco went to Rutgers and was a seventh-round pick by Kansas City in 2022. He flew under the radar for most fans because his best college season came in 2019, when he had 729 yards and seven touchdowns. Pacheco has been part of a split backfield each year in his short career, but he has exceeded expectations of a seventh-round draft choice. The running back started dealing with injuries in 2023 and missed three games that season. Pacheco then played in only seven games in 2024, and hasn't been able to recapture the success from his first two seasons.
Kareem Hunt
Hunt played his college football at Toledo from 2013-2016. He was a third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2016. He took the league by storm, rushing for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Hunt added 455 yards and three touchdowns through the air. His career was derailed early by a suspension related to off-field issues. It resulted in his release, and he later signed with Cleveland, joining a backfield with Nick Chubb.
Hunt found his way back to Kansas City, signing with the team that drafted him as a free agent ahead of the 2024 season.
Elijah Mitchell
Mitchell went to Louisiana from 2017-2020. He was a sixth-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fans got a good look at Mitchell when he took over for an injured Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell demonstrated that he could be a threat both as a runner and a receiver, similar to CMC. He played in 11 games and ran for 963 yards with five touchdowns in 2011. When the 49ers' backfield was healthy, Mitchell was relegated to a backup role.
He missed the 2024 season due to a hamstring injury and signed with the Chiefs as a free agent.
Brashard Smith
Smith split his college career between Miami (2021-2023) and SMU (2024). He was a seventh round pick by the Chiefs in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Kareem Hunt stats
2025
5 games
43 carries
164 yards
3.8 yards per carry
3 TDs
1 Fumble
7 targets
6 receptions
44 receiving yards
0 receiving TDs
Career
Year Team Games Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs
2017 Chiefs 16 272 1,327 8 53 455 3
2018 Chiefs 11 181 824 7 26 378 7
2019 Browns 8 43 179 2 37 285 1
2020 Browns 16 198 841 6 38 304 5
2021 Browns 8 78 386 5 22 174 0
2022 Browns 17 123 468 3 35 210 1
2023 Browns 15 135 411 9 15 84 0
2024 Chiefs 13 200 728 7 23 176 0
2025 Chiefs 5 43 164 3 6 44 0
Total 2 teams 109 1,273 5,328 50 255 2,110 17
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Isiah Pacheco stats
2025
5 games
39 carries
163 yards
4.2 yards per carry
0 TDs
0 fumbles
12 targets
9 receptions
46 yards
1 receiving TD
Career
Year Team Games Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs
2022 Chiefs 17 170 830 5 13 130 0
2023 Chiefs 14 205 935 7 44 244 2
2024 Chiefs 7 83 310 1 12 79 0
2025 Chiefs 5 39 163 0 9 46 1
Total Chiefs 43 497 2,238 13 78 499 3