Despite Kenneth Walker III’s league-leading workload, Kansas City must pivot to rookie Emmett Johnson to preserve their star back and sustain offensive balance through a grueling season.
The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 2-0 start this season with wins over the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts, both coming in primetime.
The latest was a thrilling 33-30 win over Indianapolis as Harrison Butker gave Kansas City the win in the final seconds of overtime.
So far, Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III, who signed a monster deal at the start of free agency, has shown his worth and has been an absolute workhorse for the Chiefs.
Will it continue? Maybe not, but nobody knows.
However, ESPN evaluated some early surprises, and Nate Taylor revealed why Walker getting this much usage right out of the gate is something like a "mirage."
Taylor said it's a "mirage," and here's what he thinks will happen to Walker going forward in the offense.
"Walker, though, shouldn't continue to have 26 to 30 touches every game. The Chiefs also should give more opportunities to rookie Emmett Johnson, who has been productive in his limited carries."
Through two games, Walker has had a total of 47 carries and 9 receptions, with 16 total targets in the passing game, so they are wasting no time using him exclusively in the backfield.
Emmett Johnson, the rookie fifth-round pick from Nebraska, has had just 10 carries and 4 targets through two games, so it has been an overwhelming usage for Walker, and he has handled it with ease so far.
Walker is also the NFL rushing leader, with a comfortable lead over Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry.
However, the big question is this: Do the Chiefs need to feed Walker the ball 24-30 times a game? Does he need to be that much of a focal point during the regular season?
In Week 2, Mahomes attempted 47 passes, although that also included an entire overtime period. Walker was targeted 10 times in the passing game, finishing second behind tight end Travis Kelce in that category.
There's an old saying: If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Maybe the Chiefs are thinking of that and just rolling with Walker because, well, it is working.
Then again, the last thing they want is for Walker to get burned out or injured because he is carrying the ball too much in what is a long, 17-game NFL regular season.
The Chiefs face the winless Miami Dolphins in Week 3, so it could be a good opportunity for Eric Bieniemy and Andy Reid to take a step back and give Walker a bit of a break, especially if Kansas City jumps out to a big lead.
