The Kansas City Chiefs currently have the NFL's best quarterback (and just signed him to a nearly half-billion dollar extension), but they've also boasted some excellent running backs over the past 20 years.
Here are the three best runners in Chiefs history.
3. Larry Johnson (2003-09)
Drafted 27th overall in 2003 out of Penn State, Johnson was to replace Priest Holmes (who was 30) at some point and had to wait a bit for his turn. Larry Johnson received only 20 carries as a rookie and split times with Holmes in 2004, rushing 120 times for 581 yards and five touchdowns. That was only the beginning. Over the next two seasons, Johnson was one of the NFL's premier backs, running for over 1,700 yards in each, to go along with 20 and 17 touchdowns, respectively. He was also effective as a receiver out of the backfield, averaging over 10 yards per catch.
Johnson dealt with injuries, and attitude issues over the next few seasons, and his use of the new Twitter social media site wasn't flattering in the slightest (a habit he apparently has been unable to break to this day). He was released midway through the 2009 campaign, and spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins, and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 2011. Things didn't end well for Johnson, but none of that changes how good of a player he was at his peak.
Altogether with the Chiefs, Johnson gained 6,015 yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground, and added 151 catches for 1,369 yards and six scores through the air. Fans have soured on him (and for good reason), but Johnson was a stellar player at the height of his career, and did enough in that short time to be included on this list.
2. Priest Holmes (2001-07)
Undrafted in 1997, Holmes spent the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, winning a Super Bowl in 2000. Two seasons prior, Holmes had rushed for 1,008 as Baltimore's starter, but the writing was on the wall when the team selected Tennessee running back Jamal Lewis fifth overall in 2000.
Holmes played well in a limited role, and once he hit free agency, he signed with the Chiefs to be their feature back. He made the Pro Bowl and was named an All-Pro in each of his first three seasons in Kansas City, leading the league in rushing yards in 2001 with 1,555 and then in rushing touchdowns with 21 and 27 in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Those 27 scores were the most in NFL history at that point, although Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson would top that number later.
Holmes also turned into an excellent receiving back, catching more than 60 passes for 600 yards in each of those three campaigns. 2004 was shaping up to be another fantastic season, but Holmes missed the final eight games of the year due to injury.
He suffered a spinal injury early in 2005, and missed the entire 2006 season because of it. He came back in 2007, but injured his neck again, and retired after that. Holmes totaled 6,070 yards and 76 touchdowns on the ground and 251 grabs for 2,377 yards and seven scores through the air. Holmes was incredibly productive during his time with the Chiefs, and had he been able to avoid injury, may have had a Hall of Fame career (he could still potentially get into Canton, although he has plenty of competition at the running back spot).
1. Jamaal Charles (2008-16)
Like Holmes, Charles was a Texas Longhorn, although he was a third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2008. He carried the ball only 67 times as a rookie, but his potential was evident. He rushed for over 1,100 yards in 2009 despite receiving just 190 carries. He was even better in 2010, as Charles averaged an impressive 6.4 yards per carry on his way to 1,467 rushing yards. He was primed for a huge 2011 campaign, but his season ended in Week 2 as he suffered a torn ACL.
Charles returned to form in 2012, and made the Pro Bowl in each of the next three seasons. Unfortunately, Charles suffered another ACL tear in Week 5 of 2015, and landed on injured reserve list in 2016 due to a related setback. He was released after the 2016 campaign and had short stints with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars before retiring with the Chiefs in 2019.
He finished his Kansas City career with 7,260 rushing yards (the all-time franchise record), 43 rushing touchdowns, 285 catches, 2,457 receiving yards, and 20 receiving touchdowns. He retired with an average of 5.4 yards per carry, which is the NFL record for players with over 1,000 carries. When he was healthy, Charles was simply electric, and it was very sad to see the career of such a special player cut short by injury.
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