One of the running backs available this offseason with some name recognition is Peyton Hillis. Amazingly, Hillis will have went from being on the cover of Madden’s popular video game to being in the doghouse on his own team: the Browns. Yet when a player goes through a down season or experiences drama, it provides the kind of short-term, low-risk situation that someone else can enjoy.
Enter the Chiefs. The team is going to need another runner in the backfield with Jamaal Charles coming off of rehab for a torn ACL and Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle are free agents. Hillis might believe he could make more money at first, but he will likely fall to a lower bidder.
Jason La Canfora writes, “Peyton Hillis could go from Madden cover boy to someone looking for the kind of deal he thinks he’s worth. Teams have struggled to come to terms with giving even the very best backs in this league big money, so for someone coming off a lost season with off-field concerns, finding a lucrative contract will prove tough.”
He’s not the only one who thinks Hillis is in for a tough offseason.
Jason Smith writes, “There will be a tremendously soft market for Peyton Hillis. He may fall through a cloud and onto a stack of cotton balls and toilet paper made out of memory foam. However, I think he could be a steal, since you’d probably be able to get him on the cheap after his public relations nightmare from last season. He has the talent. He’s a tough, cold-weather runner who would fit in for either New York team, Pittsburgh, Green Bay or even Cincinnati — a team that desires more of a 1-2 punch in the backfield going forward.”
That last line definitely describes the Chiefs, who have always used Charles in such a way. Coming off of an injury, it only makes sense to continue that with someone who can bolster the backfield.