Jerick McKinnon has proven he’s a playmaker once again. It doesn’t matter what uniform he wears or which position he plays.
The former Georgia Southern quarterback has earned a key role for the Kansas City Chiefs, who play the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game on Sunday.
McKinnon spent all season buried on the Chiefs depth chart at running back and he has been passed over plenty of times before.
Start with the early years of his NFL career in Minnesota, when he backed up Adrian Peterson. An injury to the star running back gave McKinnon a chance, only for the Vikings to give Matt Asiata the starting nod the following week.
Or the later years in Minnesota, when Dalvin Cook was given the top job and tore ligaments in his knee. McKinnon, who also played quarterback at Sprayberry High School, was passed over by Latavius Murray that time, hastening his exit to San Francisco in free agency.
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Even though the Chiefs had Clyde Edwards-Helaire atop the depth chart, and Darrel Williams behind him, McKinnon chose to sign with Kansas City after three injury-filled years with the 49ers. He was confident that he would eventually have an opportunity to make a difference, and when that happened, it would be on a Super Bowl contender.
“When you get in a place like that and you are fighting and battling back, the only thing you can do is just put your head down and keep working,” McKinnon said, “and know in the back of your mind that the hard work is going to pay off.”
Did it ever.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
With Edwards-Helaire still sidelined by a shoulder injury, and Williams dealing with a sore toe, McKinnon got the nod in the wild-card round against Pittsburgh. He responded by carrying 12 times for 61 yards, catching six passes for 81 yards and a score.
In the divisional playoffs win over the Bills, McKinnon carried the ball 10 times for 24 yards and caught five passes for 54 yards, contributing 78 yards in a narrow 42-36 victory.
“I’ve seen it from training camp on that he’s a playmaker,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I mean, there’s a reason he’s been a playmaker in this league the last few years here. Obviously, he’s dealt with injuries in his career, and he dealt with a little bit of injury this season, but he’s kept his mindset right. He kept working hard. And I knew with some of the other guys kind of being down and dinged up, he would step up and fill in nicely.”
Credit: bsanderlin@ajc.com
Credit: bsanderlin@ajc.com
McKinnon’s big game against the Steelers followed up a nice performance in their regular-season finale in Denver, when he reached the end zone for the first time with the Chiefs.
“He gives you all kinds of confidence just by the way he handles himself,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He’s a confident guy, he works hard, takes care of himself — smart — and he’s a good athlete. So you felt like if he got in there, he would do a good job. He can catch the football. He can run it. He’s got good vision.”
And now he has a key role in the AFC championship game.
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