In the first half of the 2010s, Jamaal Charles played as well as any other running back in the NFL. As a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Charles reached superstar levels and competed against Arian Foster, LeSean McCoy, and Adrian Peterson for accolades.

However, Charles' prime ended too soon. Injuries robbed fans of witnessing one of the best running backs in recent history.

Charles attended the University of Texas. There, he recorded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his three seasons. However, the Texas native didn't rush for over 1,00 yards until his junior season. In that 2007 season, Charles rushed for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

After his junior season, Charles declared for the 2008 NFL draft. Despite ranking eighth in the nation in rushing yards and touchdowns, he fell to the third round. The Chiefs finally drafted Charles with the 73rd overall selection. Eight running backs went off the board before Charles, including five first-round selections.

When Charles got to Kansas City, he sat behind veteran Larry Johnson for most of the 2008 season. Johnson ran for more than 1,700 yards in 2005 and 2006, but injuries limited him in the following seasons. Charles played in all 16 games and made two starts. He finished the season with 357 rushing yards on 67 carries and 272 receiving yards.

Charles' ascent to the top of the NFL began quickly, as 2009 thrust him into the spotlight. After seven games, the Chiefs decided to move on from the aging and controversial Johnson. Kansas City waived the veteran, and Charles became the team's starting running back.

In 15 appearances and ten starts, Charles averaged a league-leading 5.9 yards per attempt and accumulated 1,120 rushing yards on just 190 carries.

In 2010, Charles made his first Pro Bowl, and the Associated Press selected him as a first-team All-Pro. The 24-year-old running back amassed 1,467 rushing yards while averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. He also contributed 468 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. His 1,935 yards from scrimmage only trailed Foster's 2,220. Charles had arrived.

Unfortunately, 2011 foreshadowed the ultimate undoing of Charles' career. After two games, the Chiefs placed Charles on injured reserve (IR) with a torn ACL in his left leg.

However, the Texas product bounced back at full force in 2012. He made another Pro Bowl, rushing for 1,509 yards while averaging 5.3 yards per attempt. His 1,745 yards from scrimmage ranked fifth in the NFL. The Associated Press named Charles as a second-team All-Pro.

Charles produced the finest year of his career in 2013. He ran for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. The superstar also set career-highs in receiving yards (693) and receiving touchdowns (seven). His 1,980 yards from scrimmage only trailed McCoy's 2,146, but Charles did lead the league in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. The Associated Press selected him as a first-team All-Pro again.

It was the Jamaal Charles show in Kansas City.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs

The Chiefs also reached new heights in 2013. Head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith joined the organization that year, and they complemented Jamaal Charles perfectly. The Chiefs went 11-5 but blew a significant lead in the Wild Card round to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

Kansas City failed to make the playoffs in 2014. Charles made his fourth Pro Bowl, amassing 1,324 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns. He never came close to reaching such heights again.

Five weeks into the 2015 season, Charles was pacing 1,164 rushing yards and 566 receiving yards, but he suffered an injury. The Chiefs placed Charles on IR with a torn ACL, this time in his right leg.

In 2016, Charles returned to the field in Week 5 but made just three appearances before Kansas City again placed him on IR. Charles never fully recovered from the 2015 injury.

In February of 2017, the Chiefs cut Jamaal Charles.

At the end of his time in Kansas City, per NFL Research, Charles held the NFL record for most yards per carry (minimum 1,200 attempts) with 5.5. Even after unproductive one-year stints in Denver and Jacksonville, Charles still holds the record with 5.4 yards per carry. At 5.2 yards per carry, Jim Brown is second place on the all-time list.

In 2019, Charles signed a one-day contract with Kansas City and retired a Chief. He is by far the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards.

Charles retired with 7,563 career rushing yards, 2,593 receiving yards, and 64 total rushing and receiving touchdowns. He ranks 102nd in NFL history with 10,156 yards from scrimmage.

Through his first seven seasons, Jamaal Charles averaged 1,303 yards from scrimmage per year. If he played at his peak for two more seasons, he may have retired with six Pro Bowls and three or four All-Pro selections. Throw in a few reduced seasons at the end of his career, and Charles' Hall of Fame resume would look very similar to McCoy's. Unfortunately, it seems like Charles will never don a golden jacket.