5 moves the Chiefs need to make after massive Chris Jones signing

3. Chiefs can boost backfield with Austin Ekeler signing

Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard are all eligible to change teams this free agency period. It's easy to forget that Austin Ekeler is available too, and he might be the best option of all. That is absolutely the case for Kansas City. The Chiefs would benefit a ton from Ekeler's finesse and versatility in concert with Isiah Pacheco's brute downhill force out of the backfield.

Running back is hardly a position of "need" for any team at this point. But, with how dire the market is, the Chiefs can probably land Ekeler without breaking the bank. The allure of contending for a Super Bowl in the AFC West, with a chance to beat the Los Angeles Chargers twice a season, could be what convinces Ekeler to take his talents to KC.

Injuries hampered Ekeler last season, but he still managed 1,064 yards from scrimmage in 14 games, with six touchdowns to his name. Ekeler led the NFL in end zone visits two years straight in 2022 and 2023, so there is a very strong recent track record to fall back on. He would need to embrace a less featured role in Kansas City, but such is life for veteran RBs these days. If he's not going to be the expensive bell cow anywhere, he might as well link up with the NFL's foremost contender.

Ekeler would give the Chiefs a steady set of pass-catching hands, which is incredibly valuable considering how unreliable Kansas City's intermediate passing game was a season ago. Ekeler has perhaps lost a step at 28 years old, but he can still run routes with precision while giving Mahomes another polished red zone weapon. It's a great fit.