The Kansas City Chiefs have to be hoping for a bounce-back year in 2025. For a team that’s been in the Super Bowl the last three years, a bounce-back might not be the same as every other team, but a 40-22 demolition at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles is not how the Chiefs anticipated their quest for a three-peat ending.
As a result, their offseason has seen a ton of movement across the roster, as general manager Brett Veach tries to address virtually every weakness on the roster. However, even with their additions over the summer, one analyst believes diversifying the offense is going to be needed for Kansas City next year as well.
Kansas City Chiefs Moving On From Isiah Pacheco?
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Isiah Pacheco was a steal for Kansas City. In his first two years, he put up 830 and 935 yards, respectively. However, his real value came in the postseason, where totals of 197 and 313 yards were critical to the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
But an injury near the start of the 2024 season limited the explosive running back immediately. He finished with just seven games under his belt, looking far from his usual self, totaling 310 yards in the regular season.
Kansas City was able to string together a salvageable ground game by bringing in Kareem Hunt out of obscurity. However, their need at the position was clear as they added Elijah Mitchell from the San Francisco 49ers before drafting Brashard Smith in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But for Ian Cummings, those moves aren’t enough to bolster a solid run game alongside Patrick Mahomes. As a result, he wants the Chiefs, whom he has drafting at 29 next year in his way-too-early mock draft, to draft Nicholas Singleton out of Penn State.
In his three years for the Nittany Lions, Singleton already has two 1,000+ yard campaigns under his belt, while adding 32 touchdowns on the ground. Over the last couple of seasons, he’s also shown some versatility as a pass catcher, totaling over 300 yards each year.
An additional eight touchdowns through the air and a kickoff return for a score have Cummings singing praises about the superstar RB. “He’s a home-run threat at 6’0″, 227 pounds, with good vision, footwork efficiency, and receiving versatility. He can blink through gaps and bury defenders.”
Nicholas Singleton is arguably the most explosive runner in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s rare to find a runner with Nick Singleton’s combination of speed, burst, and power. pic.twitter.com/nmR3PkV1FF
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) May 16, 2025
For a team whose offense ranked 12th on PFSN’s Offense+ metric last season and that could not get a single point in the first half of Super Bowl LIX, a second dimension outside of Mahomes might be a smart choice.
Unless Pacheco can return to his form from a year ago, it might be in the best interest of the Chiefs to look ahead to the future, where Singleton awaits as a smash-hit success.
