Why Notre Dame RB Shows Love Toward Chiefs, Too

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In 17 games last season, Chiefs had three runs of 20-plus yards last season – fewest in the NFL. Only one of those was by a running back. Patrick Mahomes and Xavier Worthy had the others.

In 12 games at Notre Dame last season, Jeremiyah Love had nine of those carries by himself. He also registered 39 carries of 10-or-more yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry. And he held a formal interview with the Chiefs at this week’s combine in Indianapolis. Would he give that type of explosive effort in the same backfield with Patrick Mahomes?

lov — Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) and Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Rasheem Biles (3) exchange words during the first half at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on November 15, 2025. | Michael Longo / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It would mean everything to be paired with a great quarterback like him,” Love told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge on Friday. “I feel like he's one of the best quarterbacks to come through the game. He’s still got a lot to prove. But hey, it's Patrick Mahomes. I’d love to play with him.”

Assuming the feeling is mutual considering Mahomes was the Chiefs’ leading rusher in several games last year, Love would fit like a glove in Kansas City’s backfield. But what could excite Mahomes most is what Love had to say about the most underappreciated part of his game.

“I mean, nobody's really beat me in blocking,” Love said from the podium Friday. “Like, I pretty much dominated everybody just trying to rush me. I feel like that's underrated.”

Blocking obviously is simply a bonus in Love's skill set. He's also one of the draft's better pass-catchers in the entire draft, according to those who've followed his college career.

Superpowers

“There are many superpowers for Jerimiyah Love,” draft expert and former Chiefs scout Field Yates said Friday on NFL Live. “I think there are two that most consistently show up on tape, and I think make him the best running back in this class by miles. First of all, the passing game … If you put an 8 in front of Jeremiyah Love’s 4 on his uniform, or at least in the olden days when wide receivers actually wore numbers in the 80s, he could play slot wide receiver for you right now.

“And then the explosive plays, Go check a stat from this past year. He basically led all FBS running backs in the major explosive-play categories. He had back-to-back seasons with a 90-plus yard run.”

patrick mahome — Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrate after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

Why Chiefs may not ultimately Love him back

Love confirmed on Friday he’s conducted a formal interview with Brett Veach and the Chiefs this week in Indianapolis. Don’t think he said or did anything that would steer Kansas City away from him. He’s clearly the best running back in the draft, and the Chiefs have been on him for 18 months.

Here’s the biggest enigma for Brett Veach and the Chiefs with regard to Love: Kansas City needs to answer the question whether he’s worth passing on a player at a premium position such as edge rusher.

david baile — Oct 25, 2025; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive end David Bailey (31) pressures Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Noah Walters (12) in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

“Yeah, I mean, it's a great question,” Veach said Tuesday. “And I think there's the old-school. I mean, you're always going to O-line, D-line, those positional values are there. You see them in free agency. But at the same time, I mean, arguably, some of the best players in this draft are maybe at non-premium positions, when you look at the Ohio State linebacker, the Notre Dame running back, the safety from Ohio State.

“So, those are really, really good players. It’s hard to find fault with their tape. Really solid. But again, some of those more premium positions, interior D-line, edge rushers, they're hard to find.”

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