Former Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon has been turning a few heads during Kansas City Chiefs training camp this summer.
Signing a contract for less than $1 million is probably not what former Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon had in mind this offseason. But when it was a team like the Kansas City Chiefs making the offer, it wasn’t difficult for McKinnon to agree to a deal.
With the Chiefs now, McKinnon is hoping to get back to producing at a level similar to how he performed during his last few seasons with the Vikings.
So far, the former Minnesota running back is impressing his new teammates, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Former Minnesota Vikings running back getting rave reviews at Kansas City Chiefs training camp
During the last two seasons, Mahomes and the Chiefs have found their way into the Super Bowl. They only came away with a victory in one of these contests, but getting to the big game two years in a row is still an incredibly difficult task to accomplish in today’s NFL.
To add to the impressiveness of Kansas City’s last two seasons, they were able to make it all the way to the Super Bowl despite not having a top-15 rushing attack in 2019 or 2020.
Now, we’re not saying that adding McKinnon is all of a sudden going to give the Chiefs one of the best run games in the NFL. But his ability as a rusher and a receiver should certainly add another element to Kansas City’s offense, which is already one of the most dynamic in the league.
This summer, the former Vikings running back has been performing well during the Chiefs’ training camp, and Mahomes has certainly noticed.
"“I think [McKinnon’s] going to be a playmaker. I’ve seen it from day one, right when he got in here. The way he’s able to run the ball, but then catch the ball out of the backfield, I mean, I think he’s a playmaker that will be a big part of our offense.”"
If McKinnon can find a way to become a vital part of Kansas City’s offense next season, it’s going to be hard not to root for him.
After he left Minnesota in 2018, knee injuries forced him to miss both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. McKinnon finally got on the field for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, but he only managed to gain 572 total yards.
Hopefully, the former Vikings running back can continue impressing Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs during the upcoming season.