Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks
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Running back Kenneth Walker III, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks.
The Kansas City Chiefs swung for the fences with a $43 million contract for running back Kenneth Walker III following his run to Super Bowl MVP, and the franchise offered a glimpse as to why on Friday.
Kansas City took to social media with a video post that included a nearly five-minute montage of Walker highlights during his time with the Seattle Seahawks, adding a strong statement in the caption about the splashiest player the franchise acquired this offseason.
“Ladies & gentleman, we’ve got a dawg in [Kenneth Walker] 😤,” the Chiefs wrote on their official X account March 13.
Walker, who battled injury issues the last couple of campaigns, finished 2025 with 17 starts, 1,027 rushing yards and five TDs. He added 31 catches for 282 yards through the air.
However, he increased his market value following his rookie contract by tallying 313 rushing yards and four TDs along with nine grabs for 104 yards during the Seahawks’ three-game playoff run to a championship.
Kenneth Walker III Offers Chiefs Exactly What Team Was Missing in Running Backs Room Last 2 Seasons
Kenneth Walker III.
GettyRunning back Kenneth Walker III of the Kansas City Chiefs will bring an explosive element previously missing from the offensive backfield.
Beyond just his statistical prowess, the sorely-missing element that Walker brings to the Chiefs’ offense is his explosive-play potential.
Ben Solak of ESPN has noted on multiple occasions that Kansas City in 2024 and 2025 posted two of the worst three rates of explosive-play production from the offensive backfield in the league over the last 25 years.
“Last season, Walker forced a missed tackle on 30.2% of his touches, the third-highest rate in the NFL (minimum 150 touches), according to NFL Next Gen Stats,” Nate Taylor of ESPN wrote after the signing. “The Chiefs are confident Walker can generate explosive rushes behind the strong interior of the offensive line. … A year ago, Isiah Pacheco didn’t have a single rushing attempt in which he gained 20 or more yards. Kareem Hunt had one.”
Chiefs Added Former Arizona Cardinals Running Back Emari Demercado This Offseason to Back Up Kenneth Walker III
Chiefs sign Emari Demercado in NFL free agency news
GettyThe Kansas City Chiefs added former Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado during free agency to back up new starter Kenneth Walker III.
Pacheco will not return next year after signing with the Detroit Lions to serve as the backup running back behind star Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco replaces David Montgomery, whom Detroit traded to the Houston Texans for a fourth-rounder, seventh-rounder and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs earlier this offseason.
Hunt, meanwhile, is a free agent and likely to be looking for a new team this offseason after Kansas City added Emari Demercado following the signing of Walker.
Demercado signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted rookie in 2023, where he has played the last three years. Since then, he has appeared in 40 games and earned two starts. Demercado tallied 819 rushing yards and three TDs as well as 50 catches for 324 receiving yards and one score over that span.
Demercado will play next season at the age of 27, while Walker will play the upcoming campaign at 26 years old.