NFL veteran running back Jerick McKinnon signed a new contract with the TEAM. McKinnon, a former third-round pick, spent the 2022 season with the Kansas City Chiefs but has also played for the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
The #Chiefs are expected to re-sign RB Jerick McKinnon, whose re-emergence has been a revelation for KC. He gained 803 yards from scrimmage last year, the second-highest total in his career, with 10 TDs.
GM Brett Veach alluded to this possibility with reporters just now.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 1, 2023
Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs, Agree to Contract
After years of injury and backup work, Jerick McKinnon has something of a career renaissance in 2022. Appearing in all 17 games, the running back carved out a role as Kansas City’s primary receiving back. During the regular season, McKinnon caught 56 passes for 512 yards and nine touchdowns on 71 targets while adding an additional 291 rushing yards and a touchdown on 72 carries.
McKinnon originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Selected by the Minnesota Vikings, the Georgia Southern product made an immediate impact as a rotational part of the backfield. Appearing in 11 games while making six starts, the rookie finished his inaugural season with 538 rushing yards on 113 carries to go along with 27 receptions for 135 yards on 41 targets.
McKinnon played in all 16 games in 2015, but spent the entire season as a backup. In limited work, the running back recorded 271 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries to go along with 21 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown on 29 targets.
Thanks to the presence of Adrian Peterson and then Dalvin Cook, McKinnon never had the chance to shine in a starting role for Minnesota. In total, he spent four seasons with the Vikings and recorded 1,918 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 474 carries to go along with 142 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns on 191 targets.
Jerick McKinnon finally got his chance to shine when he signed a massive contract with the San Francisco 49ers – or so it seemed. Signed to be the lead running back, McKinnon tore his ACL just before the regular season opener, sidelining him for the entire campaign. Sadly, this injury lingered into 2019, as a setback landed him on the injured reserve for the second consecutive year.
Main photo: Danny Medley – USA Today Sports
