The Kansas City Chiefs never were the same last season after Jamaal Charles went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 2. Granted, most teams aren't after losing their All-Pro running back for the season.
Charles has toiled away for the past eight months, rehabbing the knee, and says he's "80 percent" healed.
"If you're worried about me not being the same, just look for this year, look out for me and you'll see," Charles told the team's official website this week.
A thought: If Charles can return to form, Kansas City might have the most dangerous stable of backs in the AFC.
Along with Charles, the roster includes Dexter McCluster and Peyton Hillis. McCluster developed last season in Charles' absence, rushing for 516 yards in four starts. Hillis very publicly became an enigma with the Cleveland Browns in 2011, but who can forget the way he ran through defenses in 2010?
Make no mistake, Charles is the leading man here. After his 1,000-yard output in 2009, he broke out for 1,467 yards in 2010, proving the featured back role isn't dead. Not yet.
Charles understandably is impatient about returning to the field.
"I'm hungry, I want it this year," Charles said. "I've got the passion for it. I can be patient, but I just can't wait to play football. I can't wait to bring stuff back to this community and show how much we can win."
The Denver Broncos, of course, have absorbed all the attention in the AFC West, but the Chiefs won't be an easy encounter for teams in 2012 -- especially with Charles staring down defenses.
