KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t just licking their wounds after a shocking 6-11 campaign; they’re hunting for a cure. Following a season where the ground game sputtered to a halt, the franchise has zeroed in on former NFL rushing king DeMarco Murray to resurrect its backfield. As first reported by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the current Oklahoma running backs coach has emerged as a top candidate to take over the same role on Andy Reid’s staff.
Murray isn’t just another name on a list. He’s been grinding in the coaching trenches at his alma mater, Oklahoma, for the last six seasons (2020-2025). But the allure of the NFL—and the challenge of fixing a Chiefs offense that looked mortal for the first time in the Mahomes era—might be enough to pull him away from the Sooners.
The numbers don’t lie. Kansas City’s rushing attack hit a wall in 2025, averaging a pedestrian 106.6 yards per game, ranking them in the league’s bottom 10. With veteran Kareem Hunt shouldering the load and Isiah Pacheco fighting through injuries, the unit lacked the explosiveness that defined their championship years. Murray, who eclipsed 1,845 rushing yards in his 2014 Offensive Player of the Year season with the Cowboys, knows exactly what elite backfield play looks like.
“You look at a guy like DeMarco, he’s done it. He’s been the workhorse. He’s taken the hits. That commands respect instantly. We need that fire back in the room.” — Anonymous AFC Scout on Murray’s potential impact
This potential hire signals a philosophical shift. Andy Reid knows he can’t ask Patrick Mahomes to throw 50 times a game with zero run support—not after watching the offense crumble last season. Bringing in Murray suggests a renewed commitment to a physical, downhill attack.
If Murray lands the gig, expect an immediate emphasis on vision and decisiveness—traits he mastered during his seven-year pro career with Dallas, Philadelphia, and Tennessee. For a Chiefs team desperate to wash the taste of a playoff-less January out of their mouths, this could be the spark that reignites the engine.
