KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Chiefs running back Knile Davis learned the exact length of a “New York minute” this week.
That’s how long he was a member of the Jets.
The former third-round draft pick of the Chiefs was traded to Green Bay a few weeks ago, when Kansas City was flush with other running backs. But after five carries in two games, Davis was let go early this week and signed with New York, only to be cut again before he ever reported there.
When the Chiefs lost Spencer Ware to a concussion and Jamaal Charles to another knee injury, and realized that Bishop Sankey wouldn’t be up to speed in time for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville, they would up getting Davis back on a plane to Kansas City.
One day after signing with his old team, Davis was their backup running back in a 19-14 victory .
“It was great to have him back,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
That would be an understatement to Davis, who said he felt like he was home again. Several teammates stopped to slap him on the back as he got dressed after the game, and Reid even whispered a few words in his ear after addressing reporters in the Arrowhead Stadium auditorium.
“It felt good to get embraced by the crowd. It felt good to get on the field,” said Davis, who had three carries for 10 yards and caught a pass out of the backfield. “There’s something about playing inside Arrowhead Stadium that you don’t get at other stadiums.”
Davis has had plenty of opportunities in Kansas City, but fumbles and unproductive games had allowed Ware and Charcandrick West to pass him on the depth chart. His biggest value over the past year had been on special teams, where he returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff win in Houston.
But with so little depth, Davis proved to be crucial for one very important reason: “I didn’t have to learn the playbook,” he said, “so it was cool. I just had to learn the game plan and get up to speed.”
Davis said he’s been keeping tabs on Charles and Ware - “Those are my brothers,” he said - but he never thought his career would return to Kansas City this season. He certainly didn’t expect everything to come full-circle so quickly when he was cut by Green Bay and signed with New York.
“I need to get the Jets to send me a jersey,” he said with a smile.
Now, Davis is hoping to stick around with Kansas City the rest of the season, even though he’s gained a newfound perspective on the harsh, business-first nature of the NFL.
“Everything was a surprise, from the trade, all of it,” he said, “but it worked out.”
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