The Kansas City Chiefs are going to get to see just how much depth they have at running back this season. They're going to be seeing it rather early.

That's because planned starting running back Damien Williams missed the end of Sunday practice. Reports came in quickly that he had a hamstring problem.

Backup Carlos Hyde stepped into the breach and performed quite well. That kind of performance is what Chiefs fans are hoping to see from the running backs in general.

Chiefs depth tested

Carlos Hyde was brought onto the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason to be a depth piece, but there's also a very real chance the team is hoping he can take the starting job.

Hyde is someone who has had plenty of success when he's been able to start over and over.

The problem is that he hasn't gotten a ton of chances to do that. The same could be said about Damien Williams before him.

No one expected Williams to be the man who was going to be the key ball carrier at the end of last year. Williams finished the season with 50 carries for 256 yards and four touchdowns.

He also had 23 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns. He came into the 2019 offseason billed as the man who was going to be "the man."

Considering all of his numbers were career highs, it's not unusual that some Kansas City Chiefs fans would want to find someone else to be the starter.

Carlos Hyde to the rescue?

While Williams has never been a starter in the NFL, the same can not be said about Carlos Hyde. That might be why the Kansas City Chiefs have a bit of a secret weapon.

While he split last season with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, he had been a starting running back for the San Francisco 49ers for three years before that.

In those seasons he regularly ran for over 900 yards when he was healthy. He's got the talent to be that kind of player again.

There's very little reason to believe that Damien Williams is going to be bouncing back from his hamstring injury any time soon. That is the kind of injury that can linger.

When you're talking about a player that was already someone who hasn't exactly established himself as a starter for the Chiefs, there's no reason to think he couldn't also lose that job.

That is likely why Hyde agreed to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first place. He saw that Damien Williams wasn't as established as some of the other running backs in the league.

It's unusual to see a team that is expecting to make the Super Bowl have an opening on the depth chart like this. Hyde stepping in at practice today is just one day. This will be a position to watch as fall camp moves forward. The back who is taking the most first-team snaps is likely going to have the inside track once the regular season starts.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED