Chiefs 'Expected to Re-Sign' RB Jerick McKinnon
UPDATE: Per Field Yates of ESPN, McKinnon's re-signing in Kansas City is official.
The 2023 NFL Draft is a thing of the past now, and the Kansas City Chiefs are focused on figuring out what they can do to implement the newest members of their team while also finding other ways to improve.
Speaking on Monday afternoon about his 2023 draft class, his process throughout the weekend and what to expect moving forward, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach addressed a variety of topics. One of them was the running back position, a group that has been subject to plenty of speculation on multiple fronts. Not only was Clyde Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option something to monitor, but Kansas City also signed a high-profile undrafted free agent at the position and had a 2022 staple of the room still testing the open market.
When asked specifically about the free agency of veteran Jerick McKinnon, Veach was very honest in saying it wouldn't surprise him if the team re-signed him.
"Well yeah, obviously, we have a longstanding relationship with Jerick and we've had communication," Veach said. "I wouldn't be surprised if something got done with him soon."
Right after Veach's press conference, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Chiefs are "expected" to re-sign McKinnon:
Before the draft, Veach mentioned that McKinnon is a veteran who's been through this series of events before. In fact, he didn't re-sign with Kansas City until June of last offseason. He didn't strike anyone as a player who was in a hurry to get a deal done and get fully get back in the swing of things, so his patience during the offseason was expected. James Palmer of NFL Network reports that the move will happen on Tuesday. The NFL's Monday deadline for unrestricted free agent signings counting against the compensatory pick formula likely factored into this timing.
Playing in all 17 regular-season games for the Chiefs last year, McKinnon ran the ball 72 times for 291 yards and scored one touchdown. He was a major factor in the receiving game, recording career-highs in receptions (56), receiving yards (512) and receiving touchdowns (9). He also had 92 all-purpose yards during the team's Super Bowl run. McKinnon will now be back in the fold in Kansas City for what will be his age-31 season.
