Nov. 15, 2015; Denver; Chiefs running back Charcandrick West (35) in action against the Broncos. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs took care of in-house matters ahead of the NFL’s new calendar year, which begins Wednesday.
The Chiefs tendered running back Charcandrick West as an exclusive rights free agent, a source familiar with the transaction confirmed Saturday morning with ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Chiefs have not announced the transaction.
West becomes the fourth Chiefs player tendered as an exclusive rights free agent, joining safety Daniel Sorensen, defensive lineman Nick Williams and defensive lineman David King.
The 5-10, 205-pound West emerged the past season when the Chiefs turned to him after Jamaal Charles suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 5, and West proved his value as part of a two-back rotation with Spencer Ware.
West, who turns 25 on June 2, appeared in 15 games with nine starts and led the Chiefs in rushing with 634 yards on 160 carries, averaging 4 yards a carry.
He had a 100-yard effort in Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his four rushing touchdowns tied with Charles for second-most behind Ware (6). Showing versatility out of the backfield, West added 214 yards receiving and a touchdown on 20 catches.
With West and Ware spearheading the ground attack in the absence of Charles, the Chiefs finished the regular season ranked sixth in rushing, averaging 127.8 yards per game.
West, who hails from Springhill, La., originally joined the Chiefs in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Abilene Christian.
He quickly became a fan favorite the past season and often engages his 23,000-plus followers on Twitter.
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Herbie Teope is the lead Chiefs beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @HerbieTeope.
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