During the first seven games of the 2025 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have been concealing an offensive weapon.
But that player’s cover was blown during Sunday’s 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Rookie running back Brashard Smith led the Chiefs in yards from scrimmage (81) and touches (19). He moved the chains three times — once on third-and-13 by a screen pass — and gained eight or more yards on five touches.
It was the most productive performance in Smith’s seven-game career — a showcase that was exciting even to untrained eyes. Smith revealed a skill set unlike that of fellow running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. The rookie boasts a combination of speed and elusiveness that has been missing from Kansas City’s backfield for years.
As the Chiefs began preparation for their Week 8 matchup with the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football,” head coach Andy Reid praised the team’s seventh-round pick.
“He has done a nice job of picking it up,” he told reporters on Thursday. “That position? You have to know the pass game [and] the run game — [and] then you have these protections you have to take care of… He has hung right in there and done a good job.”
The first-year running back has clearly earned the coaching staff’s trust. Since the first three weeks of the season — a stretch in which Smith saw only three total touches — the Chiefs’ offense has given him at least three in each game — and he’s gained 174 yards on those 33 touches.
Smith, who was originally a receiver at SMU, has racked up most of his 189 yards from scrimmage as a pass catcher. He tallied all 122 of his career receiving yards over the last four weeks. The Chiefs’ coaching staff has not been hesitant to test out his positional flexibility.
“We have been able to give him a little bit more each week in different roles; we’re moving him all over the place,” Reid acknowledged. “I wouldn’t see that part changing — we’re going to keep utilizing his talents. [He is] a hard worker; all the intangible stuff is great.”
This season, Smith has aligned in the backfield on just 48 of the 80 offensive snaps he has played. He spends 40% of his time aligned more like a receiver.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is getting used to the versatile rookie. He mentioned Smith during a downpour of praise he directed at his pass-catchers on Thursday.
“We have a lot of talented guys there, and you never know where it’s going to hit,” he observed — noting the obvious roles of wide receivers Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown. “Tyquan could hit a 30-yard completion at any moment, JuJu could hit a 15- or 20-yard completion at any moment [or] Brashard could hit a 20-yard completion at any moment. You don’t know where it’s going to come from.”
In the lopsided win over Las Vegas, Mahomes spread the passes around to the point that seven different players recorded 28 or more receiving yards.
“That’s a luxury for us — you want to keep defenses guessing,” Mahomes maintained. “All these guys are going to get a lot of catches; they’re going to have their moment. But they will be ready to go whenever that moment comes.”
Smith is one of 11 players who have earned at least three first downs for the Chiefs this season. He ranks ninth in descending order on that list — but with Reid and Mahomes expressing clear confidence in him, he could be moving up in a hurry.
“He has been a sponge,” revealed Mahomes of the running back. “He has been learning a ton — and whenever [he’s had] an opportunity, he has made plays happen. He is just another weapon in this offense, and he’ll continue to get more and more snaps.”
The increased snap count may begin this week: Hunt was unable to practice Thursday while dealing with a bone bruise. If the veteran needs a lighter load against Washington, Smith could see his most impactful workload yet.
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