Brett Veach and the Chiefs are making trade calls at running back ahead of roster cuts.
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Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
The Kansas City Chiefs have lost multiple starters during free agency.
Fortunately, they have replaced most of them with some fresh faces. The 2025 season fell apart for the Chiefs, going from Super Bowl aspirations to ultimately finishing with a 6-11 record. That, combined with many expiring contracts throughout the roster, has led to significant changes needing to be made.
Among the top players to leave Kansas City include cornerback Trent McDuffie (traded) and Jaylen Watson, safety Bryan Cook, linebacker Leo Chenal, and running back Isiah Pacheco. All were members of the 2022 NFL Draft class, which played a huge role in the Chiefs winning back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
Kansas City Chiefs Made Attempt to Re-Sign RB Isiah Pacheco
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco
GettyRB Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco signed a one-year, $1.81 million fully-guaranteed contract with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. While speaking to the Detroit media during his introductory press conference, Pacheco revealed that the Chiefs made him an offer to stay in Kansas City.
“There were a lot of teams,” Pacheco said about his options during free agency. “I had eight opportunities to go to different teams. Kansas City was one of them. Once they made that move (signing Kenneth Walker III), I knew that I had to open up the door to go somewhere else. This (Detroit) was the first place I thought of.”
It is unknown what exactly the offer was that the Chiefs made to Pacheco, but it’s probably safe to say it was less than what he got from Detroit. It doesn’t seem likely that he will get much more work behind Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who is one of the best in the NFL, than he would behind Walker had he stayed in Kansas City.
Pacheco got off to a solid start during the first two years of his career, rushing for a total of 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also logging 57 catches for 374 yards. However, a slew of injuries, particularly a broken leg that cost him most of the 2024 season, slowed him down significantly. In 2025 he averaged just 35 rushing yards per game and 3.9 per carry.
Examining the Current State of the Chiefs’ RB Room
GettyRB Kenneth Walker III
The biggest headline of the Chiefs’ offseason so far is the signing of Walker to a three-year, $$45 million max contract. Walker will bring an element of speed and big play ability that Kansas City’s offense has sorely missed over the past several years. In 2025 Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, also adding 31 receptions for 282 yards.
The Chiefs also signed free agent running back Emari Demercado, who has spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Demercado will complement Walker well as a third-down back who possesses speed and receiving ability. He has an impressive 6.5 yards per carry average throughout his career, totaling over 1,100 scrimmage yards for the Cardinals.
The other running backs on Kansas City’s roster are Brashard Smith and ShunDerrick Powell. Smith got his feet wet a bit as a rookie last year, racking up 323 total yards and one touchdown on 69 touches. He brings impressive 4.3 40-yard dash speed to the table, and could contribute as a return specialist. Powell spent training camp and preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, and signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs in January.