Kansas City Chiefs general manager, Brett Veach, and owner, Clark Hunt, speaking during warmups ahead of game on November 3, 2019.
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Kansas City Chiefs general manager, Brett Veach, and owner, Clark Hunt, speaking during warmups ahead of game on November 3, 2019.
The Kansas City Chiefs have had a productive offseason so far.
While they lost several starters, they were able to retain a couple of key pieces such as tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. The Chiefs also created some much-needed salary cap space by restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract, as well as releasing defensive end Mike Danna and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.
All of that led to Kansas City signing several new free agents. The headliner of the group is running back Kenneth Walker III, who was given a three-year, $43.5 million contract. Walker will lead a revamped Chiefs’ running back corps, and suddenly Kansas City goes from virtually no threat of a rushing attack to potentially one of the best.
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Kenneth Walker III Seattle Seahawks
GettyRB Kenneth Walker III
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently ranked the top five running back rooms in the NFL, and placed the Chiefs in at No. 3. Here’s his analysis:
“While Walker struggled with injuries and inconsistency in 2024, he returned to form in 2025. The 25-year-old started all 17 games for Seattle, tallying up a career-high 1,309 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns on 252 touches. He took his game up a notch in the playoffs, finishing his team’s three-game romp to a Lombardi Trophy with 417 yards and four scores from scrimmage on 74 touches. Working behind Walker will be some combination of Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado.
Smith had an underwhelming rookie season in 2025. The seventh-rounder failed to usurp Hunt and Pacheco on the depth chart, accumulating a meager 323 yards and one touchdown on 69 touches. He did show some potential—especially as a pass-catcher—and could make a leap in Year 2 as Kansas City’s third-down back. Demercado also figures to be in the mix after a solid season with the Arizona Cardinals. The three-year veteran averaged 7.2 yards per touch and might become the change-of-pace option for the Chiefs.”
The Chiefs haven’t had a duo the caliber of Walker and Demercado since Kareem Hunt and Damien Williams back in 2018. Not only will Walker and Demercado provide big-play ability as rushers, but as receivers as well. Not to be forgotten is Smith, who has 4.3 40-yard dash speed and pass catching skills as a former wide receiver during his collegiate days.
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Chiefs sign Emari Demercado in NFL free agency news
GettyRB Emari Demercado
Walker will obviously be the lead back who gets the bulk of the carries. The question is how much will he play on third downs? That could be more of a situation for Demercado, who filled that role for the Cardinals over the past three years. During his tenure with the Seahawks, Walker often came off the field on third down in favor for Zach Charbonnet.
Smith will compete with Demercado for snaps behind Walker. He could have a leg up already having been in coach Andy Reid’s offensive system for a year, but Demercado has a proven track record of NFL success. Following the end of the 2025 season, Smith said he plans to put some extra weight on. He will also be in the mix to return kickoffs and punts on special teams.