The Kansas City Chiefs made a significant move to upgrade their offense, as they’ll add Seattle Seahawks free agent running back Kenneth Walker once free agency signings occur on Wednesday.
Walker, this year’s Super Bowl MVP, joins a struggling squad that failed to secure a playoff spot last season amid disappointing losses. Their situation went from bad to worse when superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL and MCL injury near the end of the season.
With the expectation that Mahomes will return before Week 1, or a bit later after that, Walker will certainly give them some offensive power for their ground game. That’s especially true after their free agent running back, Isaiah Pacheco, agreed to a new deal with the Detroit Lions.
While all that is occurring, an intriguing trade involving Kansas City has also popped up in speculation, which may or may not make sense for the Chiefs after their recent move.
With the recent Walker move, it would be surprising to see the Chiefs go for another running back. However, a recent speculative report linked New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara to the Kansas City Chiefs in a potential trade.
The report speculated that the Chiefs would give New Orleans their 2025 fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Kamara. In exchange, that would give Kansas City another playmaking back to split time with Walker for their ground game, a significant upgrade from having Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.
While appearing on the "Dan Patrick Show," Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer indicated he liked seeing the Chiefs' move to sign Walker in free agency. He pointed out that some may have "devalued" the running back position to the point where it's now a "value."
He also pointed out that Walker can play all three downs for the Chiefs and had over 133 receptions during his time with the Seattle Seahawks. In this past postseason, he was named the Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player for his impressive performance in Seattle’s win over New England.
While some might see it as a headscratcher for the Chiefs, Kamara could give Kansas City two highly talented backs to take the pressure off Mahomes when it comes to generating all the offense. Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, has spent his career with New Orleans since 2017, racking up 7,250 yards and 61 touchdowns on the ground in 126 career games.
While the recent speculation about a Kamara trade included the Chiefs, there were also three other teams named as possible suitors for the Saints’ running back. They included the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Seahawks, who recently lost Walker to Kansas City.
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