5 NFL free agents who are shockingly still available in late March

2. Jerick McKinnon, RB, Chiefs

Not many players who had 10 touchdowns last season are sitting in free agency at this point in time. Jerick McKinnon was extremely efficient as one of the primary options out of the backfield and in the passing game for the Kansas City Chiefs last season, even if he fits more in the “positionless” version of offense in today’s game than anything else.

McKinnon has always been known for his ability to make an impact in the passing game. It’s a major reason why he got a big-money contract from the San Francisco 49ers back in 2018 at an average of $7.5 million per year. Obviously, that contract ended up being a bust for the 49ers because McKinnon was, sadly, unable to stay healthy enough to be available consistently.

As a matter of fact, after the 2017 season in which he racked up almost 1,000 yards from scrimmage with the Vikings, McKinnon didn’t even see an NFL field again until the 2020 season with the 49ers. He ran for five touchdowns that season and added another as a receiver, but as of the 2021 season, it seemed like his career was pretty much over with.

That is until the Kansas City Chiefs started utilizing him significantly. He was only given 72 carries in 17 games as a “running back” but McKinnon was targeted 71 times, reeling in 56 passes with a whopping nine receiving touchdowns. He started to really come on in the 2021 playoffs for the Chiefs which sparked his role for 2022.

Like I said, there just aren’t many players with 10 total touchdowns from last season still sitting in NFL Free Agency. McKinnon hasn’t had many issues with injuries the past three seasons. Although he’s an older back, he’s still highly effective in the passing game.