Kansas City, MO – September 18, 2025 — Two opening losses to the Chargers and Eagles don’t doom Kansas City’s season, but they do expose a hard truth: the Chiefs’ run game isn’t pulling the offensive wagon. In that context, veteran commentator Brian Baldinger offers a sharp, simple suggestion: “It’s time to call Cleveland. Bring Jerome Ford to Arrowhead.”

According to Baldinger, Kansas City’s problem isn’t just the numbers — the running back group has produced 94 yards on 28 carries across two games, while Mahomes is the team’s leading rusher. It’s also a rhythm issue: not enough “on-schedule” runs to keep drives alive, too many 2nd-and-10 instead of 2nd-and-6, and not enough safe outlets in the quick game when the pass rush closes in. “You don’t need a home-run back,” Baldinger imagines. “You need someone who guarantees 3–5 yards when you need it and can become Mahomes’ third option in the passing game.”

Jerome Ford fits that brief. In 2023, he logged 204 carries for 813 yards and 4 TDs, plus 44 receptions for 319 yards and 5 TDs — a two-way skill set that meshes with Andy Reid’s RPO, screen, and angle/choice concepts. In 2024, even with reduced volume, Ford remained effective as a rotational piece (104 carries/565 yards/3 TDs; 37 catches/225 yards). This season, his role in Cleveland has been limited — precisely the leverage point Baldinger thinks Kansas City should exploit: an “idle” asset that can thaw quickly in the right system.

 

From a tactical lens, Ford brings immediate value:

• Early downs: one-cut runs in outside/inside zone, duo, or pin-pull to carve out 4–5 yards and keep drives on schedule.

• 3rd down/two-minute: check-release, Texas/angle, and screens — reliable outlets that keep Mahomes from having to run as often.

On cost, Baldinger notes that midseason RB markets rarely get expensive. A conditional 2026 seventh-rounder — or a similar package — is a price “worth paying to buy a few percentage points of win probability right now.” From a cap standpoint, a mid-tier RB deal is generally easier to absorb than a pricey WR/TE; if necessary, the teams can use retained salary or light restructuring on the Kansas City side.

Of course, this is not a magic wand. Run-blocking up front, play-calling in key down-and-distance, and perimeter threat at wide receiver remain three pillars that must be tuned in parallel. But in the NFL’s real world, sometimes the right piece in the right place — a back who “sets the tempo” and catches at the right moments — can change the feel of an offense over two or three series, and with it, the color of the entire game.

If the Chiefs want to move quickly, a sensible plan would be: negotiate this week, onboard Ford with a limited package (pass pro + screens + basic outside/inside zone) in his debut, then expand as he absorbs the playbook. “You don’t need to rewrite the textbook,” Baldinger concludes. “You just need a steady hand on the wheel to crest September’s steep hill.”