The Kansas City Chiefs signed running back Samaje Perine last week after he was released by the Denver Broncos. Perine joins the Chiefs despite nearly missing the call from head coach Andy Reid reaching out to him.
When Reid initially called Perine, the running back let the call go to voicemail because it was from a Philadelphia-area number. Perine heard the voicemail, and called Reid back immediately, per ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
Perine said it was Andy Reid who contacted him first from the Chiefs after he was released by Broncos. Said he initially let call go to voicemail because it was from a Philly number but called back immediately after listening to Reid’s voicemail. “And here we are.”
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) September 2, 2024
Perine joins the Chiefs after last playing for the Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals. During the 2023 season, Perine rushed for 231 yards and one touchdown, and caught 47 passes for 432 yards.
Prior to his stint with the Broncos, Perine spent three full seasons primarily as the Bengals’ backup running back to Joe Mixon and a third-down back.
One of Perine’s most memorable plays for the Bengals came against the Chiefs in the 2022 AFC Championship Game. Perine caught a screen pass and took it 41 yards to set up a Bengals touchdown. The Bengals went on to upset the Chiefs 27-24 and advance to the Super Bowl.
That play has stuck with Reid, who is excited for what Perine will bring to the Chiefs.
“We all know what he did to us when he was at Cincinnati with that screen play, but Samaje’s done this over his career, where he’s been a phenomenal third-down back, but he’s also a good runner,” Reid told reporters on Friday, via Michael Baca of NFL.com. “… The opportunity to have a guy in here that can do the run game and the pass game, I just think he’s a good, well-rounded football player that’s extremely intelligent.”
Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, watches second quarter game action against the Chicago Bears during preseason at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.
David Eulitt/Getty Images
Isiah Pacheco remains the Chiefs’ starting running back after rushing for 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns over his first two seasons with the Chiefs, including 935 yards in 2023. Perine is still expected to take on a role in the Chiefs’ rushing attack, likely as a complement to Pacheco.
The Chiefs also hold two rushers in Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Carson Steele. Edwards-Helaire will miss the first four games of the season after he was placed on the non-football injury list Monday.
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Steele made the Chiefs’ roster after an impressive preseason, which was highlighted by a 31-run yard in which Steele stiff-armed the Chicago Bears’ defender. Steele went undrafted out of UCLA in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs are just three days away from their season opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday.
