This running back’s phone calls with Patrick Mahomes ushered in reunion on the Chiefs
For players shopping around for their best deal with a new team, NFL free agency is about having choices ... and running back DeAndre Washington certainly had his fair share.
Before signing a one-year deal with Chiefs last week, Washington said he received interest from the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets.
But a phone call or two with his former Texas Tech teammate of two seasons (2014-15) and current Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes essentially sealed the deal.
“When I was getting down to the nitty-gritty, I called him and just kind of got some insight, a perspective on what he enjoyed the most from some things outside of football that we talked about,” Washington said during a Wednesday teleconference. “Once I told him I was interested, he was definitely on board and trying to get me in.”
Washington’s ties to the Chiefs goes deeper than Mahomes, though that’s a pretty great place to start. The running revealed Wednesday that offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy once recruited him to come to Colorado when Bieniemy served on the Buffaloes’ coaching staff.
But knowing Mahomes was in Kansas City certainly helped Washington come to a quick conclusion during his decision-making process.
“We had a few conversations prior to it (the contract) getting made,” Washington said. “And that probably made me feel a lot more comfortable about making that decision.”
The 5-foot-8, 210-pound Washington entered the league in 2016 as a fifth-round pick with the Oakland Raiders, where he spent four seasons. In his career, Washington has appeared in 55 career games with five starts, totaling 1,735 yards from scrimmage (1,122 rushing) and eight touchdowns.
Washington’s best season statistically came in 2019, when he amassed 679 total yards from scrimmage (387 rushing) and three touchdowns. Washington also totaled a career-high 108 carries in 2019, and each touch provided him a chance to put on film what he can do with the ball in his hands.
“It was an opportunity for me to showcase what I’m all about: that’s an every-down back being able to carry the load,” he said. “I just wanted to take full advantage of that opportunity once I got it.”
For now, Washington said, he is currently in Houston working out and staying in shape.
He faces a challenge in quickly picking up the Chiefs’ offense given the restrictions on all NFL offseason workout programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the running back said he’s talked to the Chiefs’ coaching staff about learning the terminology of Andy Reid’s offense and will lean on Mahomes to help get him up to speed.
How Washington fits in with the Chiefs remains to be seen.
He joins an already crowded backfield anchored by incumbent starter Damien Williams. The Chiefs also have running backs Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson, Elijah McGuire, Mike Weber and Marcus Marshall on their offseason roster, and the team could look to add yet another rusher in the 2020 NFL Draft, which is set for next week — April 23-25.
Nevertheless, Washington embraces the competition with a view toward contributing to Reid’s version of the West Coast offense.
“It kind of seems everyone is involved no matter the horsepower they’ve got,” Washington said. “They’ve got some serious horsepower in that offense. Coach Reid has a unique way of getting everyone involved, so I’m definitely looking forward to coming in and making some plays with that group.”
