[Kansas City.com] Jamaal Charles may be splitting carries with Thomas Jones in the present, but the Chiefs committed to Charles on Saturday as their featured back for the future.

The Chiefs signed Charles to a five-year contract extension worth a reported $32.5 million, including $13 million guaranteed, on the eve of today’s game against the Chargers in San Diego.

Charles, the Chiefs’ third-round pick in 2008, saw his career boom when he replaced Larry Johnson as the featured back midway through last season. Charles rushed for 968 yards over the season’s final eight games.

He finished the season with a flourish, rushing for a franchise-record 259 yards in the season’s final game in Denver. That game pushed Charles over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

Even though he’s sharing the duties with Jones this season, Charles went over 1,000 yards in the win over Seattle two weeks ago. Going into today’s game, he has 1,137 yards – third in the league – and three rushing touchdowns. His 6.2-yards-per-carry average is the best in the league for ball carriers with more then 75 attempts.