Kansas City, Mo. ? Chiefs coach Andy Reid could have quite the pleasant problem come Monday night.

Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles is expected to return to the field after missing last week’s win in Miami because of a high ankle sprain. And that means Reid will have to figure out how to distribute touches against New England around a very crowded offensive backfield.

Knile Davis ran for 132 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins. Throw in Joe McKnight’s play, which included six catches for 64 yards and two scores, and a few touches for Cyrus Gray and suddenly the Chiefs have an abundance of talented runners just waiting to tote the ball.

Even running back-turned-wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas finally could be available against the Patriots. The rookie has missed the first three games of the season because of a hamstring injury.

“Everybody is getting a chance,” Reid said. “They’re playing their hearts out, making sure they get everything down. I’m proud of the guys the way they’re filling in and doing their job.”

Still, none of the other options at running back offers what Charles can provide.

He’s the biggest big-play threat on the roster, the owner of the two longest touchdown runs in Chiefs history. He has more than 1,000 carries, fifth-most in franchise history. He has 161 carries of at least 10 yards, trailing only Larry Johnson. And he has the three biggest single-game outings in franchise history, each of them going for at least 226 yards.

Davis has run for 456 yards in his entire career. McKnight spent last year out of football entirely. Gray has only had 24 carries over parts of three seasons.

“Jamaal is our running back,” McKnight said simply, “and we just have to stay ready.”

Even if Charles can play, there’s a good chance that the Chiefs will limit the amount of touches that he gets, splitting snaps and carries with Davis and the other running backs.