Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) scores a rushing touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ex-NFL Star Rodney Harrison Reveals Telling Chiefs Statistics

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 6:00 AM ET

It's been said time and time again, the Kansas City Chiefs' ground game this season has been very hit or miss. Through the first nine weeks of the 2025 NFL campaign, the Chiefs' running back room ranks 12th in the NFL in average rushing yards per game, but it's much more than that.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had been the Chiefs' leading rushing leader before Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt started to find their footing. The Chiefs have played in several close games, which have warranted a ton of passing plays, but the running plays haven't been as explosive as some would like.

Former NFL safety Rodney Harrison dove into the successes and failures of the Chiefs' ground game attack this season, specifically what happens when the rush is utilized.

Harrison's Thoughts

"Against the Raiders, the Chiefs ran the ball 41 times, right? They score 31 points. They win. Against the Commanders. They run the ball 30 times. They score 28 points. They win. Against the Jaguars, the running backs touch the ball 15 times. They lose. And Mahomes is the leading rusher. That's just not that's just not the right formula," Harrison said.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's safe to say that Harrison isn't a fan of how the Chiefs have used their running backs this season, which he detailed to Jac Collinsworth and Tony Dungy following their Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

"They become they've become so one-dimensional, waiting for Mahomes to go back there and always work his magic. To me, when they're running the football, they're running downhill."

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"They're play action passing, getting the ball out quick and then taking shots, that's when this offense is at its best. And at times, Andy Reid just shies away from the run game, and he wants to make it all about Mahomes."

Pacheco leads the Chiefs with 329 rushing yards this season, scoring one touchdown, followed by Hunt with 294 yards and five touchdowns. Going into the latter half of the campaign, if the Chiefs continue to lean one-dimensional, it could come back to bite them where the sun doesn't shine.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The franchise hasn't had a running back surpass 1,000 rushing yards since Hunt did so in 2017.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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