Shortly after winning Super Bowl LX and being named the game’s MVP, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III told Newsweek that his running style could be described as “explosive, elusive, and shifty.”
The Kansas City Chiefs‘ running game lacked all three qualities for the past two seasons - posting two of the three lowest explosive running back rush rates of the past 25 years in the NFL, as per ESPN’s Ben Solak. ESPN’s Mina Kimes doubled down on how bleak the Chiefs’ backfield has been, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Over the last two years, the Chiefs RBs have run for 10+ yards less than 9% of the time - 31st amongst 32 teams. Last season, Kenneth Walker had the 3rd highest 10+ yd rate of any RB.”
So, shortly after the unrestricted free agency legal tampering period opened at noon EST today, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Chiefs had agreed with Walker on a three-year contract worth up to $45 million. Once the deal is finalized at the start of the new league year on Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST, Walker will have received the most lucrative free-agent running back contract in league history, per Pelissero.
ESPN Chiefs beat reporter Nate Taylor joined Cody & Gold on 96.5 The Fan in Kansas City to report why the Chiefs broke their tendency to neglect running back and paid top-dollar for 25-year-old Walker. Taylor explained that the Chiefs recognized running back as the “biggest hole” on their roster and wanted to bring in a back “who the defenses would actually have to prepare for.”
Taylor added, “I know that the money is maybe more than what most fans would have anticipated or wanted, but I have been reporting for basically a month now that it was either going to be Kenneth Walker or Travis Etienne [Jr.], [or] Tyler Allgeier if they took a swing and they missed on both of those top guys.”
Taylor ranked Walker as somewhere between the eighth and 10th-best running back in the NFL, and it was imperative to prioritize the position after three-time Super Bowl MVP and two-time NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL on Dec. 14. Mahomes rushed for 422 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games last season - at times, he was the team’s leading rusher.
“This is a big win for the Chiefs because not only does it allow them to have more balance to their offensive firepower, but they actually accomplished what they set out to accomplish on Day 1 of free agency,” Taylor said, later noting, “With Mahomes coming off the most significant injury of his career, you have to make it easy on the playcaller and you have to make it easier on the quarterback.”
Taylor cited the return of Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who spent last season as the Chicago Bears’ running backs coach, and general manager Brett Veach wanting to lean into the Chiefs’ stellar interior offensive line - left guard Kingsley Suamataia, All-Pro center Creed Humphrey, and Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith - as an offensive identity.
Seattle drafted Walker in the second round (No. 41 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Walker impressed as a rookie, with 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 rushing attempts in 15 regular-season games. He remained productive throughout his time with the Seahawks, even though injuries limited his 2024 campaign to 11 games. He more than made up for it in 2025.
Last season, he recorded 1,027 yards and five touchdowns in 17 regular-season games, then dominated in the playoffs en route to becoming Super Bowl LX MVP. Now, Walker could become the first 1,000-yard Chiefs running back since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018.
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