Chiefs’ Jerick McKinnon excited to start playoffs with a ‘championship-caliber team’
A combination of limited usage early and a stint on injured reserve kept running back Jerick McKinnon’s touches on the modest side this season with the Chiefs.
But injuries to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams opened the door for McKinnon to garner his second-most touches in a game this season when the Chiefs beat the Broncos 28-24 last Saturday.
The trip to IR, which kept him out all of December, was a blessing to McKinnon.
“I think my body actually needed (the rest), because I feel pretty good now,” he said Friday. “It was kind of one of those bittersweet things, where I definitely wanted to be out there helping the team and competing, but your body won’t allow you.
“So the most you can do is get your body right and get prepared to come back.”
The Chiefs leaned on McKinnon in Denver, and he responded with 50 yards of total offense, including a nifty 14-yard catch-and-run touchdown, his first this season.
McKinnon, who signed with KC in April, could see more playing time in Sunday’s AFC Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will miss the game, so McKinnon is projected to join Derrick Gore as backups to Darrel Williams, who is listed as questionable because of a toe injury.
Coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs have had a next-man-up mentality this season at running back.
“We’ve kind of done that throughout here,” he said. “Just rolled guys in and everybody’s had their little roll with the offense, and so we’ll keep doing that. We’ll try to keep guys fresh the best we possibly can against a really good defense.”
McKinnon, who said he feeds off the energy of his teammates, is looking forward to the postseason. It won’t be his first: He appeared in three playoff contests with the Vikings in 2017-18.
But it will be his first playoff game with teammates who have played in the Super Bowl.
“You know, signing here was definitely a big thing for me,” he said. “I was excited to be on the team, be around the guys. Play with ... a championship-caliber team like this team. Every week ... a new challenge is presented. The playoffs are no different.
“The Steelers, they’re great team, they have Big Ben (Roethlisberger), Najee Harris, they have a great receiving corps, and they’ve got great guys on defense. So it is gonna be tough. Those guys are a championship team, too, so we we know what we’re in for.”
