12up Logo

Chiefs Trade for Leonard Fournette Would Be a Massive Mistake and 2019 is All the Proof You Need

By Will Coleman

Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette makes a run on the outside during a game against the Falcons.
Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette makes a run on the outside during a game against the Falcons. / Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten a head start on their dramatic rebuild before the 2020 NFL season by trading Pro Bowl defenders Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye, and running back Leonard Fournette could be the next to star to get shipped out of Duval.

The Jags will probably be asking for plenty in trade talks for the coveted halfback, but the market for him will still be heated. As much of a power move it would be for GM Brett Veach to pair Fournette with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City's backfield, the Chiefs ignore ProFootballTalk's advice and shirk the chance to be serious players for the 25-year-old.

I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm pretty sure Kansas City just won a Super Bowl without a running back like Leonard Fournette. For all this talk about the importance of a capable running game and elite balance in modern football, the Chiefs could not be a more compelling argument against emphasizing the position unnecessarily. While Kansas City was 23rd in team rushing yards last season, they heavily relied on the heroics of Mahomes and their fifth-ranked pass offense instead, and a capable (and cheap!) back in Damien Williams carried the load so effectively when called upon that he nearly stole Super Bowl MVP honors.

And while Fournette saw career highs in games and yardage in 2019, there's no point in the Chiefs investing in him because...they can't. Unless the trade package involves a cap space-clearing contract or some future draft picks, Kansas City should stay away -- they legitimately can't afford it, even if they were particularly desperate.

Fournette will help a team contend wherever he ends up getting traded, but he really wouldn't make the Chiefs any better. We have no idea how this rumor got started -- the Chiefs are much more like the dynastic Patriots than the splash-loving Broncos, as far as recent contenders go.

Still not convinced? Think of it this way: KC needs to afford a Patrick Mahomes extension someday soon. Why would they use up any of the necessary cash on a fungible position?