The Battle for RB3 for the Chiefs

With McKinnon and Perine gone, who steps up into the RB3 slot for the Chiefs in 2024?

The Kansas City Chiefs made an interesting move a couple weeks back that was easy to overlook but may have a decently large impact on the upcoming season. In order for the Chiefs’ to bring back defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, the Chiefs waived running back La’Mical Perine. It’s understandable that this move didn’t make major news rounds given he played just barely over 50 snaps on offense last year but the move could have more importance.

Beyond just the offensive snaps, Perine did play roughly have of the Chiefs’ special teams snaps through the first three playoff games. He didn’t play a large role for the Chiefs’ in 2024 but he was the running back that the team trusted the most after Isiah Pacheco, Jerrick McKinnon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

This year - as of this moment - Jerrick McKinnon isn’t on the team and there haven’t been strong signs pointing to him returning. The expectation was that Perine would have a leg up on that third RB position after a solid outing in Week 18 last season but the Chiefs have other plans. The question remains, what are those other plans? Let’s take a look at some options.

The Battle for RB 3

Why?

As mentioned, McKinnon is no longer on the Chiefs’ roster at this moment and he was the Chiefs’ RB2 last season, oftentimes being trusted to be in the game at RB in the most pivotal moments. Losing that player in the room and not making any major additions in free agency leaves a relatively big gap on the roster. Perine was a player expected to be in that competition, if not the front runner and now he is gone as well.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is in line for a role increase in the absence of both of these players but someone else also has to step up. Perine may be able to be replaced by someone who can know the playbook and east snaps easy enough but McKinnon’s role as a pass protector and trusted receiver is one that has to be replaced.

CEH has flashed the ability to do those things but hasn’t brought his LSU skill set to the table in the ways the Chiefs’ had hoped to feel great about that move. Even if he sees an uptick in his usage, it’s unlikely he keeps his same role from the prior year and absorbs McKinnon’s entire role. This leaves a gameday roster spot open for someone else to take and run with.

The Options

Keaontay Ingram

Up first is Keaontay Ingram who recently got a small bit of praise from Brett Veach. Ingram was a 6th round pick in 2022 of the Arizona Cardinals who saw time sparingly as a reserve RB for the Cardinals in 2022 and the first half of 2023. He was waived in in late November and the Chiefs signed him to their Practice Squad shortly after. While he didn’t find a role in Arizona, his play at USC in college seems like an easy fit with the Chiefs’ current offense.