Larry Johnson Should Become The Chiefs All Time Rushing Leader

Larry Johnson should be allowed to gain the all time Chiefs rushing record.

There are a few big reasons for this:

• The Chiefs rushing record is not impressive in NFL terms
• The Chiefs have the best chance at winning with Larry Johnson playing RB
• And subsequently, another record is at stake; the Chiefs have not had a #1 draft pick. Ever

Yes, Larry Johnson has had many off field issues the past few years.  Yes, Larry Johnson went out and started bashing fans on Twitter.  Yes, Larry Johnson has not played well this season.  All of these things are not going to be forgotten by Chiefs fans any time soon. I personally don't want to see LJ on our team next year, but that doesn't change the fact that the best thing for the Chiefs to do is let him continue running the ball this year.

After the jump, I address how the Chiefs rushing record compares in the NFL, why LJ is our best option, and more.

First, there are 5 teams that have lower rushing records than Kansas City. Here are the teams that have a lower record:

New England Patriots (5,453 Yards)

Houston Texans (3,195 Yards)

Carolina Panthers (2,530 Yards)

New Orleans Saints (5,678 Yards)

Tampa Bay Bucs (5,957 Yards)

(Sources: AFC, NFC)

The Chiefs rushing record is greater than 2 teams founded within the last 15 years, and only 3 teams with similar length of history as the Chiefs.  That means that the Chiefs rushing record is lower than Baltimore and Jacksonville, two teams in the league about 10 years.  Pretty amazing when you consider how long the Chiefs have been in the NFL. It would be different in Larry Johnson were about to break the record of a Hall of Fame or Future Hall of Fame player, but I don't think Priest Holmes fits that bill.

What does the record really mean? Priest will still have the rushing TD records. Most of the passing and receiving records are owned by Len Dawson and Tony Gonzales, respectively. Those are two of Chiefs fans all time favorite players. You can say Holmes is also on that list, and I would agree, but probably somewhere in the 5-10 range. Just because we like Priest Holmes better as a person, he should be allowed to keep the record by default though?

By the way, this is a record that is very breakable by another running back in the future, just probably not one on our current roster.

Second, the Chiefs have the best chance at winning with Larry Johnson as the main running back.  I know many people do not agree with this statement, but who would the Chiefs use instead?

Jamaal Charles - I like Charles, and his current YPC looks sexy, but I don't think that tells the whole picture. He's used primarily as our 3rd down running back, correct? Now, I don't have the stats to prove this, but from watching the game it seems like we run a lot of draw plays on 3rd down and long. On these runs, Charles usually gets 5-6 yards on these runs but not a first down.  These kind of runs bump his YPC up, leading us to think he is more effective than he really is.  Plus, he is not built to be a 20-25 carry running back that can play 16 games a season.

Kolby Smith - Kolby has had a few big games in his career, mostly when LJ was injured. But I can't really remember him being especially effective that season or any time since. Plus, we still had a good offensive line at that time. I just don't think he is good enough to be a main running back in the NFL.  His injury also leaves a big question mark in how well he will be able to run the ball this year, or the rest of his career for that matter.

Dantrell Savage - Hasn't seen much playing time in season to really judge how well he'll run the ball in the NFL, but I suppose he did alright in the preseason.

Larry Johnson's 2.7 Yards Per Carry is horrible. However, we have also faced several teams within the top 15 run defenses in the league. Not to mention one of the worst offensive lines in the league. This topic has been covered extensively elsewhere, so I'll just stop here at saying the line is a big factor in LJ's season. Add on to all of this some questionable play calling, and you get a scenario that any running back in the league would have troubles gaining yards.

Even at 2.7 Yards Per Carry, Larry Johnson is still the best option the Chief's have at running back.  LJ did fairly well the last two games before the bye, and hopefully he can continue improving. As Herm likes to say, "You play to win the game," and LJ gives us the best chance at that occurring.

Third, the Chiefs have never had a #1 draft pick. This in its self is not really that important. However, I like the thought that the Chiefs have never been the worst team in the NFL in any given season (according to their record). I would like to continue that streak by winning a few more games this year. If LJ is the best shot we have at accomplishing that, he should be allowed to continue running the ball.

In summary, I really don't see what the big difference is between Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes holding the record. It's not as if LJ becoming the all time Chiefs rushing leader means that Chiefs fans condone slapping women and using gay slurs. It's just a statistical record held by one of the best running backs to ever play for the Chiefs, who has had many off field issues. A record that is very breakable by a future running back, but hopefully a running back that Chiefs fans love just as much as other players in their long history.