The NFL isn’t exactly full of running backs in their 30s, but Jerick McKinnon has found a way to beat the odds and literally stick around with the Kansas City Chiefs.
McKinnon, who was named AFC offensive player of the month for December and January when he scored a receiving touchdown in six straight games, also receives acupuncture and dry needles twice a week to help keep his 30-year-old body in shape.
“Pretty much anything they can offer, I’m doing,” McKinnon said with a laugh. “I’m doing it to stay alive and stay healthy. I think it helps. Everyone has their own little routine or regiment, and I found out early that works for me, and it stuck for me, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
McKinnon, who has battled injuries throughout his career, found out he won the award after flying back to Kansas City following the Chiefs’ bye week as they began preparation for Saturday’s divisional round playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I landed back here and got a bunch of text messages,” McKinnon said. “The guys were texting me, former coaches texting me. It was just a blessing to have recognition like that. You put in so much work. It’s great, but I couldn’t do it without my teammates and coaches. It’s a collective effort.”
That includes quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who said McKinnon has a habit of being in the right place at the right time. Mahomes and McKinnon have nearly perfected the screen game out of the backfield as McKinnon scored nine receiving touchdowns in the regular season.
“He has a good sense of the quarterback timing, when to be in there for protection reasons and when to get out,” Mahomes said. “And then whenever he’s hot, he always has his eyes around and he’s ready to catch the ball. And he makes special plays when he makes the catch.
“It seems like he can get in the end zone almost every single time. He’s a vet and a guy that knows what to do whenever he catches the football.”
McKinnon caught 56 passes for 512 yards and rushed for 291 yards during the regular season. Of course, the architect of the Chiefs offense is coach Andy Reid, and McKinnon said Reid’s ability to let the players be themselves goes a long way in the locker room and on the field.
“He lets everyone show their personality, and it’s a loose environment,” McKinnon said. “But we still come to work, and he makes it fun and enjoyable.”
Likewise, Reid feels the same way about McKinnon.
“He’s like everybody’s big brother and he’s funny,” Reid said. “He’s got that high-pitched voice and he’s funny as they get. Everybody thinks the world of him.”
In fact, McKinnon’s teammates think so highly of him that they selected him to be one of the team’s six captains during the playoffs — an honor McKinnon doesn’t take lightly.
“That’s probably my favorite accolade of late just because it’s voted by my teammates,” McKinnon said. “So it’s a blessing knowing what my teammates think of me, my characteristics and what I bring to the team. I definitely appreciate that one. That’s probably the one that I love and sticks out the most of all.”
