LeSean “Shady” McCoy is one of the most prolific running backs in NFL history. He has amassed 11,071 rushing yards in his career. He ranks 22nd all-time in the NFL in rushing. During his time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, McCoy was a huge part of the offensive output. This season in Kansas City, however he’s taken on more of a backup role. Shady hasn’t seen the field that much in the last few weeks. It makes one wonder if he will play in the Super Bowl this Sunday.
After the release of Kareem Hunt last season, the Chiefs had a need at RB which many assumed would be addressed in the off-season. Damien Williams signed an extension before the season ended due to his standout performance in the playoffs. Although they were linked to higher profile free agents like Le’Veon Bell, Kansas City decided to sign Carlos Hyde. In the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, the Chiefs selected Darwin Thompson out of Utah State. It seemed the Chiefs would head into the season with these three backs. And then something unexpected happened.
A week before the regular season started, the Bills cut McCoy. Kansas City jumped at the chance to reunite Shady with Andy Reid. Chiefs fans were excited about the move as well. McCoy would be another weapon for Reid’s high-powered offense. We never saw it but imagine a formation that featured Williams and McCoy in the backfield at the same time.
Shady put together a few good games this year but it is clear that he is not the same player he once was. At the beginning of the season, Williams and McCoy split carries evenly. At least until week 8 when McCoy’s touches dropped dramatically. Whether this was due to fumbles or just being worn down we will never know. But after Damien Williams returned from injury in week 16, McCoy has hardly seen the field.
In fact, Shady has been inactive twice since week 16. He was on the inactive list week 16 with Reid choosing to go with Williams, Spencer Ware, and Darwin Thompson. Ware was injured in that game, ending his season. Due to that injury, McCoy was active again the next week. But one must wonder if Ware had not been injured, would McCoy have been inactive the rest of the season.
LeSean was again inactive for the AFC Championship Game. He did not practice all week because he was ill with the flu. When he has been active recently, he hasn’t played much. McCoy was active week 17 and in the Divisional Round game. But he only played one snap total in both those games. Shady has only played one snap since December 15th.
From what I know of Andy Reid, he is extremely loyal to his “people.” It is the reason that McCoy is currently in Kansas City. Reid stands by guys sometimes to a fault. It’s this loyalty that kept Bob Sutton on the staff when he should have been fired two years prior. Reid wants to see McCoy win a championship just as badly as McCoy wants to see Reid win one. Because of this loyalty, it is very likely that Shady McCoy will be active for the Super Bowl. Will he see the field or get a carry? We will have to see. My gut tells me that if the Chiefs have two or more possession lead in the 4th quarter then we might see Shady get a few carries. I think this is something all Chiefs fans would love to see!
McCoy’s lack of touches is due mostly to how well Damien Williams is playing (and perhaps by how little the Chiefs run the ball). The last few weeks however, it has been Thompson coming in the game when Williams needs a breather. Although the depth chart does not reflect this, it would appear that Thompson is ahead of McCoy when looking at playing time. So, will Shady even get an opportunity in the biggest game of his career?
