Chiefs Plan To Sign Free Agent RB, Don’t Expect Jeremiyah Love To Slide To No. 9

According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Chiefs plan to sign a running back in free agency to address what they see as a big need. 

Jones adds Kansas City does not expect Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love to be available when they pick at No. 9 in the first round so they want to go ahead and make additions. 

Jones doesn’t expect the Chiefs to shop at the top of the market so he doesn’t see them landing someone like Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker, who won’t be tagged by Seattle. 

Instead, Jones sees Kansas City shopping more in the $8 million per year middle class of the market, with plenty of solid veteran runners available this year. 

There’s been a lot of buzz connecting the Chiefs to the running back market. Some of it has highlighted Walker and there’s also been a drumbeat that Jaguars RB Travis Etienne would be a mutual match.

Should Walker and Etienne prove to be too expensive for the Chiefs, though, some fallbacks could include players like Panthers RB Rico Dowdle and Buccaneers RB Rachaad White.

Love, 20, is a two-year starter at Notre Dame. He won the Doak Walker Award and Consensus All-American honors in 2025 as a junior and declared early for the 2026 NFL Draft. 

NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs.

For his three-year college career at Notre Dame, Love appeared in 41 games and recorded 433 rushing attempts for 2,882 yards (6.7 YPC) and 36 touchdowns, to go along with 63 receptions for 594 yards (9.4 YPC) and six touchdowns.  

We’ll have more on the Chiefs’ plans in free agency as the news is available.