The Facts: Charles will return to Kansas City next week as the Chiefs begin the conditioning portion of their offseason program in good shape health-wise. “I feel good,’’ Charles said. “My body has healed up, rested up. I was frustrated more last season as I’ve ever been because of all of those injuries."

Diehards Line: Charles’ troubles began at the conclusion of training camp when he twisted an ankle when he stepped off a curb. As the season progressed, Charles also had foot, back, shoulder, knee and hamstring injuries. He missed just one game, in September against the Dolphins in Miami, but Charles sat out a ton of practice time. He was listed on the Chiefs’ injury report for nine of their 16 games. A sign that Charles’ body, which at 200 pounds doesn’t appear well suited to year after year of the NFL’s running back grind, is breaking down? “It wasn’t that,’’ Charles told ESPN.com's Adam Teicher. “I think it was just bad luck. I was just dinged up. If my body was breaking down, I definitely wouldn’t have played the whole season. ..." Charles offered his stats as further evidence. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry, below his career average but a yard-and-a-half above that of his backup, Knile Davis. Charles caught 40 passes, well below his career-high set the year before but still in line with what he had done most of his career. A healthy Charles will still head into the season as an elite fantasy prospect -- but one who could slip a little further down in re-draft leagues due to last year's issues.