Have agent, will travel: Inside a wild 21 days for Chiefs running back Knile Davis

Ian Greengross’ cell phone buzzed on the evening of Oct. 17. It was Chiefs general manager John Dorsey, the call Knile Davis’ agent had been waiting for.

“Ian, you asked for it — I got it done,” Dorsey told Greengross. “Good luck to the kid; I hope he does well.”

Greengross had asked Dorsey to trade his running back client as far back as March, after Davis was supplanted on the depth chart in 2015 by Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West.

Now, Dorsey had dealt Davis to the tailback-needy Green Bay Packers for a conditional 2018 draft pick, and Davis couldn’t have been more excited.

“And surprised,” Davis added. “But I was ready.”

What followed was a wild three-week period that saw the Chiefs’ former third-round pick get traded once and released twice — including once within 90 minutes of being claimed — before ultimately winding up right where he started: in Kansas City.

But no one knew then what would transpire over the next 21 days. All Greengross knew was that much work lie ahead. He began the process of getting Davis’ living situation in Green Bay situated. He advised Davis and his fiance, Dominique Robinson, to pack as much as they could into their car overnight so he could have their car shipped to Wisconsin.

“I also picked him up in fantasy league,” Greengross said with a chuckle.

The next morning, Davis, who’ll be a free agent after the season, flew to Green Bay for a fresh start that eventually became a roller-coaster ride.

Davis settled into a new apartment in Green Bay. Despite a two-carry performance in the Packers’ Thursday night game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 20, he was optimistic about his new situation.

“I felt good about it, because they ran some of the schemes I like and that I run well,” Davis said. “I was excited for the next game.”

Davis thought he’d get more opportunities against the Falcons on Oct. 30. So did Greengross, who tuned in to watch how Davis fared.

As the game played out, the Packers used mostly spread formations and moved the ball just fine without Davis. He had just five touches for 8 yards as fullback Aaron Ripkowski was the primary guy to appear in the Green Bay backfield in the Packers’ 33-32 loss.

“I figured they were just waiting for the right opportunity to use him,” Greengross said.

So did Davis, who reported to the Packers’ facility the next day to work out. He was walking through the hall on his way to the locker room when an employee told him to go to general manager Eliot Wolf’s office … and bring his iPad.

Davis, who still did not know the conditions attached to the draft pick for which he was traded, wasn’t completely surprised. He’d been around long enough to understand what fellow players meant when they say the NFL actually stands for “Not For Long.”

“Yeah, I could believe it,” Davis said with a chuckle. “Obviously, it was more than football. A lot of this, in the NFL, is more than football.”

Through a league source, Greengross learned that the Chiefs’ conditional compensation was tied to Davis lasting three games in Green Bay. He was annoyed by the result, but Davis remained unbowed.

“It was a blow, but Knile has had a lot of ups and downs throughout his career,” Greengross said. “The last few years in KC have also not gone his way. Knile never complained about his role and had one of his best camps this year, so he’s learned how to deal with adversity. He didn’t need me, but certainly I was there for him.”

Greengross, who currently has seven clients on NFL rosters, immediately began hunting for Davis’ next opportunity. He knew Davis would soon hit the league’s waiver wire and that 31 other teams would have a crack at claiming him.

The next day, when the New York Jets called to say they were claiming Davis, Greengross had a plan in place. He called his client, who was eating at IHOP with his fiancee, and told him to pack up as much as he could in the car and drive from Green Bay to Chicago, site of Greengross’ office. From there, the agent explained, Davis could catch a direct flight to New York and be available to practice with the Jets in the morning. Greengross would have Davis’ vehicle shipped to New York.

But within 90 minutes, that plan fell apart, too.

“I found out I was going to the Jets at IHOP,” Davis said, “and before I left IHOP, I found out I wasn’t going to the Jets.”

Shortly after the Jets claimed Davis, running back C.J. Spiller — who has history with Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey — decided to sign with New York, rendering Davis’ services unnecessary.

“You can’t be serious,” Greengross told the Jets. “You just claimed him.”

At first, Davis did not believe it either (“He thought I was joking, and I told him I wouldn’t make a bad joke like that,” Greengross said), but the next day he was back on the waiver wire.

Again, Greengross went to work. He knew of at least one team — one that had just lost star running back Jamaal Charles for the season — that might have interest in his client.

Davis couldn’t be claimed or clear waivers until Friday. With his next destination unknown, Greengross figured the best course of action was still for Davis to come to Chicago. So Davis spent the next few days exploring the city with his fiancee and hanging out with Greengross’ kids.

Davis compared it to the anxious period he spent during the 2013 NFL Draft awaiting a phone call. His fiancee, he said, was helpful in passing the time.

“She was a soldier,” Davis said. “It’s obvious she was tired along with me … but she was right there helping me out, man.”

When Davis cleared waivers on Friday, Greengross heard from the Chiefs. They wanted him back, and for Davis this was a natural fit — especially if he wanted to put himself in the best position to shine in preparation for free agency.

“You can play better and faster when you’re familiar with what’s going on,” Davis said. “Maybe it would have been different with Green Bay if I had been in camp. I came in midseason, I didn’t know the guys, I wasn’t in tune with what they’re doing … it’s a different situation, and that’s obviously why they didn’t throw me to the wolves, because they understand that factor.”

The Chiefs had no such concern. Coach Andy Reid was glad to have Davis back. After going through a short walk-through on Saturday, Davis on Sunday logged four touches and 10 snaps in the Chiefs’ 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“He’s put together good games for us and we have a lot of respect for Knile,” Reid said. “Is he going to play a ton? Maybe not, but there is going to be a time and a place where he does, and that’s a comforting feeling to have. He’s a good person and he’s smart and he works hard, so we appreciate having him here.”

Things are falling into place for Davis, too. When he left Kansas City, Davis arranged to sublet his residence to linebacker Sio Moore, who was cut a few days before the Chiefs re-signed Davis.

By Wednesday, Davis had already moved back into his old place. After Greengross sent his car down, even after those hectic three weeks, it was like he’d never left.

“It’s crazy, it’s crazy,” Davis said. “I’m just rolling with the punches, man. It was a wild roller coaster.

“But it is what it is —the business of football.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Have agent, will travel: Inside a wild 21 days for Chiefs running back Knile Davis."