The Kansas City Chiefs will go into next season trying to bounce back from their worst season in over a decade. The Chiefs missed the playoffs at 6-11 and lost QB Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL that may hold him out to start 2026. TE Travis Kelce may also call it quits and retire.
However, the offense got some good news, opting to go back to former OC Eric Bieniemy with Matt Nagy out of town. But one thing the Chiefs must surely address this offseason is the running back position.
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Matt Harmon and Joel Smyth talked about Kansas City’s need for a legit No. 1 running back going into 2026. Smyth has the Chiefs as the No. 1 team in need of a back going into next season. The two talk about the fit between pending free agent RB Breece Hall and K.C.
Smyth points out that while Breece got all the goal-line carries with the New York Jets this past season, the Jets were also never in the red zone due to poor QB play. Hall had consistently been an RB1 and even was an RB2 this past season despite the Jets’ struggles.
Hall was still the RB21 in fantasy points per game (11.9) in half-PPR scoring despite New York ranking in the bottom five in most offensive categories this season. He finished with 1,065 yards and four touchdowns, plus 36 catches for 350 yards and another score. Hall has never had more than five rushing touchdowns in any of his four NFL seasons.
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The Chiefs went most of the season with inconsistent play at RB between Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Rookie Brashard Smith also mixed in here and there. Kansas City posted 106.6 rushing yards per game, in the bottom third of the NFL. The running game has never been a strength of the Chiefs during this current dynasty under Andy Reid but it was never a huge weakness.
Harmon points out one potential snag in Hall going to the Chiefs — the franchise tag. New York has plenty of cap space, around $66 million to be exact, so Harmon thinks there’s a good chance the Jets smack the tag on Hall at $14 million for running backs and keep him at least through the 2026 trade deadline.
Yahoo analyst Justin Boone has Hall ranked as the RB20 in fantasy football for 2026 as we approach the offseason. In his early top-150 rankings for next season, Boone has Hall at 37th overall.
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