Hunt’s Return: Chiefs Gear Up for Showdown with Chargers

By Calvin Silvers

The Kansas City Chiefs will head into Week 4 facing a familiar rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, who are eager to ruin the Chiefs’ perfect record.

This matchup brings an exciting twist for Kansas City, as they have activated running back Kareem Hunt to the active roster after a week on the practice squad. his return adds a dynamic element to the Chiefs’ backfield, making this clash even more intriguing.

“He had a good week of practice last week, he took the majority of the scout team reps and looks like he’s in pretty good shape, head coach Andy Reid said. “His retention was pretty good, and this week will help just going through it, but he’s got a pretty good feel on what we’re doing.”

With Hunt added to the active roster and Isiah Pacheco placed on injured reserve due to a lower leg injury, the Chiefs now feature a three-headed monster with Hunt, Carson Steele and Samaje Perine.

While Reid is uncertain how the playing time will be distributed among the trio, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is confident that Hunt will be ready to make an impact.

“How hungry he is, you can see,” Mahomes said. “You still the explosiveness, you see the way he runs the ball between the tackles, I mean, he took that last week as his mini-training camp.”

The team released Hunt in the middle of the 2018 season after a video surfaced showing him kicking and shoving a woman. At that time, Reid advised him to seek help and reflect on his actions. Hunt took this opportunity to look in the mirror and make the necessary changes in his life.

While he’s excited to return, his presence was still a surprise turn of events for veteran.

“I didn’t think I’d end up back here, but, you know, it’s crazy how some things, you know, happen and work out,” Hunt said. “I was very excited, you know, a little nervous and stuff like that, so I just gotta go and be myself.”

Despite some challenges, the running game seems to have found its footing. However, Mahomes hasn’t yet reached the dominant form we’ve come to expect throughout his career.

Currently, Mahomes ranks 20th in total QBR in the league at 48. This narrative mirrors last season’s early struggles, which ultimately proved unfounded as he guided his team to back-to-back Super Bowl victories.

“It’s not always going to pay off like right now, but if you continue to work at it, it will pay off in the long run,” Mahomes said. “My hope is that it happens faster than it did last year.”

When it comes to the passing game, the ever-reliable tight end Travis Kelce hasn’t been as disruptive to opposing defenses this season, largely due to being double and triple-teamed.

The future hall of famer has recorded just eight receptions so far this season, but at this stage in his career, he’s more focused on the team’s success than individual stats.

“I want to give him the ball more, whereas he’s just like, ‘I just want to win, man, I don’t care, like, I’ll run these routes and take guys with me so that other guys can get open,’” Mahomes said. “We want to make sure that we’re still featuring him but at the same time, if the defenses are going to take away him, we’ll feed the ball to other guys.”

The chiefs face a true road test against a formidable defense, and Hunt is determined to seize this opportunity.

“It’s been a long time coming and I can’t wait to put on the red again and, you know, go out there with, you know, these guys and put it all on the line.”