Running backs are having a hard time landing contracts this offseason. Big names like Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette are still unemployed. And so is another running back best known for his receiving, former Kansas City back Jerick McKinnon.
For his part, Kansas City GM Brett Veach is very open to a reunion. "He's certainly a guy that we love," said Veach. "Once we get past next weekend, we'll double up (in chatting with him)."
It sounds, in other words, like McKinnon will be back with Kansas City in 2023, building on one of the more impressive running back seasons this century -- as a receiver, anyway. Working with Patrick Mahomes, of course, is helpful in this regard.
McKinnon caught 56 passes for Kansas City last year, and 9 of them -- over 16 percent -- went for touchdowns. That's the 5th-highest scoring rate by any running back to catch 5 or more touchdowns this century. His 9 TD receptions ties Marshall Faulk (and several other backs from the 60s and 70s) as most by a running back since the merger.
One of the four running backs with a higher scoring rate, Kareem Hunt in 2018, also did it working with Mahomes.
| RUNNING BACKS CATCHING 5+ TOUCHDOWNS, 2000-PRESENT | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Run | TD | No | Rec | TD | TDR% |
| 2005 | Kyle Johnson, Den. | 9 | 1 | 17 | 160 | 5 | 29.4% |
| 2018 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 824 | 7 | 26 | 378 | 7 | 26.9% |
| 2019 | Mark Ingram, Balt. | 1018 | 10 | 26 | 247 | 5 | 19.2% |
| 2008 | Darren Sproles, S.D. | 330 | 1 | 29 | 342 | 5 | 17.2% |
| 2022 | Jerick McKinnon, K.C. | 291 | 1 | 56 | 512 | 9 | 16.1% |
| 2014 | Ahmad Bradshaw, Ind. | 425 | 2 | 38 | 300 | 6 | 15.8% |
| 2018 | Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 800 | 4 | 32 | 276 | 5 | 15.6% |
| 2020 | Kareem Hunt, Cle. | 841 | 6 | 38 | 304 | 5 | 13.2% |
| 2014 | Arian Foster, Hou. | 1246 | 8 | 38 | 327 | 5 | 13.2% |
| 2019 | Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 460 | 1 | 39 | 253 | 5 | 12.8% |
| 2014 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 1033 | 9 | 40 | 291 | 5 | 12.5% |
| 2021 | Aaron Jones, G.B. | 799 | 4 | 52 | 391 | 6 | 11.5% |
| 2021 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 911 | 12 | 70 | 647 | 8 | 11.4% |
| 2001 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. | 1382 | 12 | 83 | 765 | 9 | 10.8% |
| 2021 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 898 | 4 | 47 | 439 | 5 | 10.6% |
| 2013 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 1287 | 12 | 70 | 693 | 7 | 10.0% |
| 2003 | Ahman Green, G.B. | 1883 | 15 | 50 | 367 | 5 | 10.0% |
| 2000 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. | 1359 | 18 | 81 | 830 | 8 | 9.9% |
| 2021 | Cordarrelle Patterson, Atl. | 618 | 6 | 52 | 548 | 5 | 9.6% |
| 2018 | Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 535 | 4 | 53 | 477 | 5 | 9.4% |
| 2016 | Theo Riddick, Det. | 357 | 1 | 53 | 371 | 5 | 9.4% |
| 2017 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 1305 | 13 | 64 | 788 | 6 | 9.4% |
| 2012 | Darren Sproles, N.O. | 244 | 1 | 75 | 667 | 7 | 9.3% |
| 2008 | Brian Westbrook, Phil. | 936 | 9 | 54 | 402 | 5 | 9.3% |
| 2019 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 557 | 3 | 92 | 993 | 8 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | Aaron Jones, G.B. | 1121 | 2 | 59 | 395 | 5 | 8.5% |
| 2016 | James White, N.E. | 166 | 0 | 60 | 551 | 5 | 8.3% |
| 2004 | Brian Westbrook, Phil. | 812 | 3 | 73 | 703 | 6 | 8.2% |
| 2011 | Darren Sproles, N.O. | 603 | 2 | 86 | 710 | 7 | 8.1% |
| 2018 | James White, N.E. | 425 | 5 | 87 | 751 | 7 | 8.0% |
| 2000 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | 1709 | 13 | 63 | 594 | 5 | 7.9% |
| 2013 | Danny Woodhead, S.D. | 429 | 2 | 76 | 605 | 6 | 7.9% |
| 2015 | Danny Woodhead, S.D. | 336 | 3 | 80 | 755 | 6 | 7.5% |
| 2018 | Tarik Cohen, Chi. | 444 | 3 | 71 | 725 | 5 | 7.0% |
| 2019 | James White, N.E. | 263 | 1 | 72 | 645 | 5 | 6.9% |
| 2017 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 435 | 2 | 80 | 651 | 5 | 6.3% |
| 2017 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 728 | 8 | 81 | 826 | 5 | 6.2% |
| 2020 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 932 | 16 | 83 | 756 | 5 | 6.0% |
| 2022 | Christian McCaffrey, 2TM | 1139 | 8 | 85 | 741 | 5 | 5.9% |
| 2018 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 1098 | 7 | 107 | 867 | 6 | 5.6% |
| 2007 | Brian Westbrook, Phil. | 1333 | 7 | 90 | 771 | 5 | 5.6% |
| 2022 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 915 | 13 | 107 | 722 | 5 | 4.7% |
Andy Reid also deserves some credit in this area. Note that another Kansas City back, Jamaal Charles, shows up twice on this list -- pre-Mahomes, but during Reid's tenure as head coach. The guy likes to throw to running backs near the goal line.
In any case, it's clear that if McKinnon does return to Kansas City, which the team is clearly interested in, he needs to be a strong consideration for fantasy teams, even working in a committee (likely with Isiah Pacheco, and perhaps Clyde Edwards-Helaire too). Those other backs combined to rush for 8 touchdowns, but just 30 receptions, about half as many as McKinnon.
--Andy Richardson