Chiefs On SI Mailbag: Which Running Backs Can Be Trusted to Protect Patrick Mahomes?

The Kansas City Chiefs' roster seems just about finalized as the NFL begins preparing for the first week of regular season action, but there are still plenty of questions to be answered regarding the team's transactions and where they go from here.

Every week, we're bringing you the Chiefs On SI Mailbag, where we take your questions from @chiefs_kcsn on Twitter/X and @jbbrisco.com on Bluesky. Today, we begin with the running back room.

Is Ken Walker going to be adding the pass-protecting reps to his workload, or is it the fifth-round rookie protecting Mahomes off a major knee injury? Are either of them even okay at pass protecting? In short: Am I overreacting by being worried that they're neglecting that role in the offense? -@oscarbobo.bsky.social

In my estimation, the Chiefs' decision to waive running back Emari Demercado was, by far, the biggest surprise of KC's cutdown day for this exact reason. Even if the Chiefs planned for Emmett Johnson to win the No. 2 running back job and favored Brashard Smith as a pass catcher and kick returner, I thought that Demercado had a role on this team as a high-level pass protector and an NFL-caliber backup.

I believe that Walker will be a capable protector, but even if he's healthy all season, he can't play 100% of the snaps. As much as I like both Johnson and Smith, their protection abilities are largely theoretical to this point. However, it appears that those two young backs have earned enough trust from the coaching staff for KC to be comfortable moving on from Demercado.

On Wednesday, Andy Reid was asked what has stood out from Johnson's recent weeks, and Reid volunteered the exact area of concern we've been discussing.

"I would tell you, his pass protection," Reid said. "We knew he could run the ball, but the thing we had to see was the pass protection, and for him to be that No. 2 back, you've got to be able to do that, and he's a smart kid and he's willing to stick it up in there, so [he] did a nice job with it."

Late in training camp, running backs coach DeMarco Murray gave similar praise to Smith.

"The whole room has been really good [in pass protection], but [Smith] is one of the guys for me that I've been the most proud of for taking that next step," Murray said. "Knowing that this is a big responsibility. We have the best quarterback, we have to keep him clean."

Would I still have personally kept Demercado on the 53-man roster while risking a No. 4 tight end or the last of KC's interior O-linemen on waivers? Yes, I would've rolled those dice before exposing Demercado to the wire, but I don't think that the Chiefs forgot about that part of a running back's role. It's a bit scary, but it sounds like they have trust in the team's current running back room ahead of Week 1.

In a typical season, how many different players do the Chiefs employ? Is it around 75 or closer to 80-85 players? Please include active roster, practice squad, injured reserve and players released during the season. Don’t include training camp or reserve/future numbers. -@MrEd315

This question leads to some things worth remembering, especially around this time of year! As of September 2, the Chiefs currently have a 53-man roster, a 16-man practice squad, eight players on injured reserve, and one on the physically unable to perform list. They also terminated the practice squad contract of Cole Brevard in favor of Marcus Harris, but Brevard was briefly on the initial practice squad. Before the season even begins, they're at 79!

As of January 1, 2026 (via Ourlads' depth chart archive), the Chiefs had their rostered 53 alongside 12 players on the practice squad. (The season was marred by injuries and the playoffs were out of the picture by that point, so many longtime practice squad players appeared on the active 53.) Meanwhile, the team had a massive 20-man IR list, with another on the non-football injury list. That left Kansas City with 86 players on all phases of the roster, even with four practice squad spots still vacant as of the archived date.

Just for comparison, on January 1, 2025, the Chiefs had their 53, a full 17-player practice squad (including an international pathway designation for Chu Godrick), and 11 players across their injured lists, adding up to 81.

Still, I'm certain that I've had a transaction slip my mind from last season. The team does occasionally tinker with the practice squad, and some players reach injury settlements to leave IR for another opportunity, so there could be players who departed that way as well.

Even with a reasonable margin for error, we know the Chiefs employed at least 86 players last season and have already tallied 79 players in some form or fashion this week.

So is Marcus Harris just in the wind? Would love him back on the practice squad, at least. KC has been so BAD at DT (aside from Jones), is it an overreaction from me to want that depth to stick around? -@EthanCo67716681

Good news! Marcus Harris is back on the practice squad!

I still wanted to address this question because I think it expresses a sentiment that the Chiefs themselves agreed with. Bucking a trend of recent years, Kansas City didn't bring back Derrick Nnadi or Mike Pennel to fill out their interior D-line, nor are they betting on a one-year veteran gamble like Jerry Tillery to outperform their recent history. They paid a bit of a premium for Khyiris Tonga, they claimed UDFA Bryson Eason off waivers (which is why they briefly cut ties with Harris), and, of course, they drafted Peter Woods at the end of the first round as a short-term running mate and long-term successor to Chris Jones.

Even with Omarr Norman-Lott on PUP, the Chiefs' defensive tackle room looks deeper and more talented than it's been in quite some time.

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