The arrival of Kareem Hunt raises questions about how the Chiefs should handle the backfield

The reunion is now complete. Kareem Hunt is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ active roster again.

The story is hopeful in several ways. Aside from the obvious fact that the Chiefs signed a player at a position that has suffered some injuries to bolster it, Hunt’s signing also continues a story that was interrupted. For some Chiefs fans, it’s a chance to root for a player who threw everything away in his second season and is hoping for a bit of redemption with the same franchise.

But that’s not the point here.

The addition of Hunt made sense at the moment. If a man falls overboard, a life raft is thrown to him. They don’t wait to ask him what he’ll do in the long run once his life is saved. So it made sense for the Chiefs to go into “bolster” mode. They had a newer veteran in Samaje Perine, a rookie free agent in Carson Steele, and a roster drop after that. This is not a formula for long-term success.

A week later, the Chiefs add Hunt to an interesting group. A week later, Perine and Steele are looking a little different for the organization. Steele literally carried the load for an effective 72 yards on 17 carries. Perine has had some nice moments himself and should feel more comfortable the longer he’s around Patrick Mahomes and company. With the arrival of Hunt there is suddenly a good core of talent.

But then it looks really crowded.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire signaled on social media that his return was imminent and continued to report during the Chiefs broadcast Football on Sunday evenings confirmed these rumors. Edwards-Helaire has been on the team’s non-football injury list (NFI) since the preseason and was forced to sit out the first four games as a result. That could mean CEH joins Steele, Perine and Hunt in Week 5 against the Saints.

From there, however, the team’s best running back, Isiah Pacheco, may not be far away. Pacheco was expected to be out for six to eight weeks. He’s already sat out the Falcons game, and considering the Chiefs have a bye in Week 6, Pacheco could return as early as Week 9. This is of course a forecast, and a very positive one at that, but the scenario is completely plausible.

What is that? could That means Hunt may only be available for a total of four games before the Chiefs are back to a full position. And there is not enough space for everyone in the squad. What would the Chiefs do at this point?

Too much talent is a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem. Did the Chiefs act too soon? Not really. From what they knew at the time, things looked dire at running back. However, what happens at the position when the deck is stacked? Someone deserving will be on the outside looking in.

Pacheco remains the frontrunner. Perine looks best as a third-down defender. Steele can take a lot at fullback, but he will remain in the knowledge that he will be both effective and cost-controlled for four seasons. Edwards-Helaire has a cheap one-year deal, but he’s a known quantity and the coaching staff trusts him. The team has also been very supportive of him so far and it’s hard to imagine him being the underdog.

That leaves us with Hunt. But would the Chiefs release a player they just signed, a player who might have a redemptive story to tell as he pursues a Super Bowl ring after missing out on three others?

At the moment, these are just the consequences of a best-case scenario. The truth is that Pacheco may not be around for a few more games, and even then, it’s hard to believe that all of these parties will remain healthy and available going forward. The Chiefs can hardly rely on CEH and Pacheco to be upright and effective over the next 18 to 20 weeks.

But if everything goes as hoped and everyone returns as quickly as possible, the front office will have some very interesting decisions to make at running back going forward.