Andy Reid head coach Kansas City Chiefs
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on before the game against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs have received mostly positive reviews for how they handled free agency.
Not only did they address several of their top needs, but they did it without breaking the bank. The one free agent that Kansas City did splurge on a bit was Kenneth Walker III, who was the best running back on the market this offseason.
The Chiefs signed Walker to a three-year, $43 million contract with $28.7 guaranteed. He is a clear upgrade over what they had last season in Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Despite that, not everybody is convinced that Walker was worth that deal.
Kansas City Chiefs Warned That Signing of RB Kenneth Walker III Could Backfire
Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
GettyRB Kenneth Walker III (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The folks over at Bleacher Report believe it may be an overreaction to assume that Walker can carry Kansas City’s offense.
“While this situation could lead to heavy usage and ample opportunity for Walker to win the league’s rushing crown, it could also backfire for the Chiefs. Walker may have had an impressive stretch that led to a Super Bowl MVP award, but he hasn’t been that type of player consistently during his four-year career. After breaking out as a rookie with a 1,050-yard rushing season, Walker regressed in each of the next two seasons, culminating with a concerning 3.7 yards per carry average during the 2024 campaign.
Injuries were an issue during that stretch as well. While Walker did manage to appear in all 20 games (including the playoffs) for Seattle last year, he missed multiple games in each of his first three seasons. Other issues such as notoriously poor pass protection efforts and middling advanced stats could come back to haunt Walker as he tries to establish himself as one of the modern era’s rare high-volume backs. There’s certainly upside for Walker to take his game to new heights in Kansas City, but there’s also enough red flags surrounding this signing that the contract could eventually become an albatross for the Chiefs.”
Chiefs Acquiring Kenneth Walker Should Be Well Worth It
Walker is not being brought to Kansas City to carry the offense. He may have to do so if quarterback Patrick Mahomes misses some time as he rehabs from his torn ACL, but that will likely only be a short window of time. The Chiefs acquired Walker to bring big-play ability to their backfield, something they haven’t had in many years.
Walker ranked third among all running backs in explosive run rate last season. Meanwhile, Kansas City ranked dead last in that department in 2025. Just having the threat of Walker will in the backfield will open up the passing game, which will lead to a more balanced offensive attack.
As long as Mahomes is at the helm, he will be the one carrying the offense. However, Walker should take some pressure off him, both as a runner and receiver. In 2025 Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, also adding 31 receptions for 282 yards. During the postseason he averaged 104 rushing yards per game and totaled 4 touchdowns.