Oct 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA; Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A mere 53 yards separates Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles from becoming the team’s all-time leading rusher.
Charles enters Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers with 6,018 yards rushing on his seven-year career, and has Priest Holmes’ current mark of 6,070 yards rushing within sights.
But Charles didn’t want to directly address the question Friday in the locker room with reporters, especially when asked by Randy Covitz of The Kansas City Star about potentially getting the record on one carry.
“I think every running back would love to go 53 yards on every carry,” Charles said. “Whatever I can get, I think it’s possible. I don’t want to jinx myself, I think they jinxed (inside linebacker) Derrick Johnson over this stuff in the past. I’m not even worrying about the record; I just want to go out there and play football and let it happen itself.”
The “they” Charles refers to on the jinx are the daily beat writers covering the team.
Johnson was asked by numerous reporters leading to the start of the regular season about closing in on 1,000 tackles before a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon in Week 1 left Johnson 15 tackles shy.
Still, potentially breaking Holmes’ record against the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium will be a nice accomplishment for Charles with the Chiefs holding alumni weekend in Week 8.
Charles has an opportunity Sunday to become the Chiefs’ all-time career rusher, and then watch Holmes enshrined in the Ring of Honor the following week at Arrowhead Stadium.
That carries special meaning for the former Texas Longhorns star.
“I think it is cool,” Charles said. “We went to the same school in college. We’re from the same state so I think that’s pretty cool more than anything. But at the end of the day, I just want to continue to make history.”
MAYS CLOSE
Chiefs coach Andy Reid addressed a Friday morning report from ESPN’s Adam Caplan that inside linebacker Joe Mays could start practicing in two weeks, possibly as early as next week.
“We’ll see,” Reid said. “He had pins removed from the arm there. We’ll just see how it all works out.”
One of the concerns surrounds Mays’ strength since undergoing wrist surgery in August to repair torn ligaments suffered in the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
“He hasn’t had a chance to lift that and get the arm back in shape,” Reid said. “I think we’ve got to see just how he does right there.”
The Chiefs placed Mays on injured reserve with a designation for return to start the season, meaning he was eligible to start practicing this week.
Mays is eligible to return to the active roster after spending eight weeks on injured reserve under the designation to return label, in accordance with NFL rules.
Josh Mauga has started in Mays’ place and currently leads the Chiefs in tackles with 36 (33 solo).
