The AFC West just became a bidding war, and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is competing with his division rival for the same prize: offensive resurgence. With the free agency window open, the Chiefs find themselves hunting an offensive playmaker while the Denver Broncos circle the same target.

“Etienne has AFC West love via Denver and Kansas City,” writes ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “Both of those teams could check on [Kenneth] Walker and others, too, depending on price ranges. Most around the league suspect Kansas City will come away with a running back, whether one of the top players or a player in the middle tier.”

The target is Travis Etienne Jr., the Jacksonville Jaguars running back who churned out 1,107 rushing yards in 2025 and is now one of the hottest names in this year’s free agent class.

Etienne ran 260 times for 1,107 yards in 2025 for 4.3 yards a carry, 7 touchdowns, 17 games, and no missed starts. A year earlier, he’d just managed 558 yards in 15 games and quietly dropped off most teams’ radars. He didn’t just come back this time around; he came back as a prime talent.

The New York Jets notably put a $14.3 million franchise tag on Breece Hall, and the running back market hasn’t cooled since. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks’ decision not to tag Kenneth Walker III made him the market-setter as an unrestricted free agent. Fowler notes that teams are capping the free agency RB ceiling at around $12 million, a figure Etienne could match if Andy Reid decides to swing for it. 

Fowler also reported that Walker is weighing the New York Giants, the Washington Commanders, and the Tennessee Titans.  Etienne’s market, meanwhile, has an AFC West flavor. KC needs a backfield answer after last season’s disappointments. Denver needs one to strengthen their core as well. Now, signing the same back, their division rivals’ want would sting twice as much for Kansas City. Both teams know that, and so does Etienne’s camp.  

To make the Chiefs’ case even stronger, general manager Brett Veach had noted at the Combine that the RB class from the 2026 Draft looks “leaner” than other positions. On the other hand, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, projected to be the best RB in this year’s draft class, has expressed a strong desire to join the Chiefs.

Kansas City hasn’t landed its backfield answer yet. Andy Reid, though, didn’t wait around. His first move of the offseason had nothing to do with Patrick Mahomes’ weapons and everything to do with the details most teams overlook.

Andy Reid’s 2026 rebuild begins

Kansas City Chiefs long snapper James Winchester is back. One year, $1.75 million, fully guaranteed, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. This move by coach Reid makes Winchester the league’s highest-paid long snapper.

Winchester, 36, joined Arrowhead in 2015 after going undrafted in 2013 and appeared in all 17 games last season. His new deal, $100,000 more than his previous $1.65 million contract, edges ahead of the Buffalo Bills’ Reid Ferguson ($1.625 million) atop the long snapper pay scale.

Now, nobody’s putting Winchester on a highlight reel. But for Andy Reid, a long snapper who has played 181 games without missing one, isn’t just a footnote; he’s a non-negotiable asset. And that matters even more as the Chiefs hunt for offensive firepower in running backs.

The Travis Etienne Jr. pursuit, meanwhile, is a different conversation entirely. While Winchester costs $1.75 million, the other could run close to $12 million a year. Coach Reid has handled one without blinking. The other is still playing out strong in the AFC West.