Former Kansas City Chiefs star Jamaal Charles explains why the team will be just fine despite their … [+]
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles knows a thing or two about what it’s like to be one of the best players on a playoff team.
The former 37-year-old running back was one of the top players in the first half of the 2010’s, clinching three All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl berths. Charles led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2013 and still ranks as the league’s all-time leader in rushing average (5.4 yards per carry).
Charles suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of the 2015 season, missing the remainder of the year. However, despite Kansas City starting 1-5, they bounced back to finish the year 11-5 and advanced as far as the divisional round of the playoffs.
It feels somewhat similar to this season where the Chiefs have suffered a rash of injuries, including a season-ending injury to leading receiver Rashee Rice, a potential season-ending ailment for Marquise Brown and a fractured fibula injury that could keep Isiah Pacheco sidelined for the remainder of the season. Despite those injuries, Kansas City is still one of two remaining teams who are undefeated at 5-0.
“No, I feel like when I was a big part of the team — I got hurt — and we were like 1-5,” says Charles in a one-on-one interview. “And they ended up coming back and winning 11 games. It’s next man up. With Andy Reid there, the offense doesn’t revolve around one person. He can put anybody in that offense and it sets you up for success.”
Charles has a point considering the Chiefs had even less talent on offense last season, with Patrick Mahomes going through his worst statistical year as a result of the decline in supporting cast. Mahomes had career lows with 27 touchdowns and 7.0 yards per attempt while throwing a career-high 14 interceptions. Despite the Chiefs finishing with an 11-5 record — the lowest wins total of the Mahomes era — Kansas City still won their second consecutive Super Bowl. That was with Rice as the leading wide receiver at 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
That’s not even mentioning how the Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls following the departure of eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro selection Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs have managed to do this with Rice as their leading wide receiver in 2023 and Juju Smith-Schuster in 2022 as their leading wideouts.
This time around, the Chiefs are better equipped to handle the loss of two of their top receivers considering they have first-round pick, Xavier Worthy, on the roster. Worthy — a fellow Texas Longhorns alum just like Charles — is off to a decent start in his NFL career with 12 catches for 179 receiving yards and two touchdowns after setting a Combine record in the 40-yard-dash (4.21 seconds).
Furthermore, the Chiefs have already brought back Smith-Schuster and former back Kareem Hunt in corresponding moves to help fill the void following those injuries.
“It doesn’t really matter who the wide receivers are — he’s going to find a way to put the ball in the best people around and you just have to make the play,” Charles explains. “With Rice going out, some people just have to step up. Juju has to step up his game play, this is your time to shine. But I feel like they filled a need with Xavier Worthy. We didn’t have many explosive plays last year with 30 or 40 yards. He had that one game against Los Angeles last week (Worthy had a 54-yard touchdown catch), the kid can play.”
Charles — who played for Reid between 2013 and 2016 — explains that as long as Reid, Mahomes and Travis Kelce are there as the main pillars of the organization, the Chiefs will be just fine.
“Just having Patrick Mahomes at quarterback — an anchor — and Coach Andy Reid, it doesn’t really play a part,” says Charles. “I think the two main points on the team that are still healthy are Mahomes and Travis Kelce — their big leaders. When it comes to the injuries to Rice and Brown, it’s always going to be next man up. The culture they build here, people just love to come here and play because it’s a winning tradition since coach Reid got here when I was here. When players come in here and play with us, I feel like they raise their game to another level.”
Although Charles last played for the Chiefs in 2016 and retired following the conclusion of the 2018 season, he remains close with the team. The 37-year-old recently took part in some tailgate festivities prior to the Chiefs’ recent home win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. Along with former NFL veteran defensive tackle Anthony “Spice” Adams, Charles partnered up with Tide to help get ride of game-day stains while eating some local foods during the tailgate outside of Arrowhead Stadium.
“Spice had the opportunity to do Buffalo and New Orleans, he got to experience both of that and he said it was awesome,” says Charles. “Everybody has a different culture of tailgating, but he said Kansas City was some of the best tailgating. It was a great experience. I’m happy that Tide let me do this campaign with Spice and was able to get stains off of us. I use Tide at house with my kids. I have young kids that do youth sports and my son gets a lot of stains on his clothes, so it does work.”
Former Kansas City Chiefs star Jamaal Charles while at Tide’s tailgate just before their Week 2 game … [+]
Despite all of the Chiefs’ injuries, Charles makes it clear he still believes Kansas City is the team to beat.
“Yes, they’re the defending Super Bowl champs,” says Charles when asked if the Chiefs are still the favorites. “Everybody is going to be coming for them and they know that. I feel like having experience with them, they will be prepared each week to know that people want to beat them and they want to defend their title.”
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