Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III arrives to energize the Kansas City Chiefs' offense, potentially shouldering a massive load as Patrick Mahomes recovers.
Heading into one of the most pivotal offseasons in franchise history this year, the Kansas City Chiefs had to nail it in free agency and in the draft if they wanted any chance of bouncing back from a six-win season in 2025.
The draft is yet to come, but the Chiefs have already been shaken up by free agency. On the first day of free agency, Kansas City agreed to a deal with running back Kenneth Walker III. The deal is for three years and $43 million.
Walker III is just months removed from a Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks at just 25 years old. It was a career year for Walker, who tallied the most yards from scrimmage, 1,309, in his career with the Super Bowl champion Seahawks last season.
Considering the weakness of the Chiefs’ backfield in 2025, there was no doubt they’d go out and make running back a priority this offseason. Unsurprisingly, they did just that by signing the best available running back in free agency.
Now, in Bleacher Report’s article providing overreactions to free agency in the NFL, Walker III is expected to carry the Chiefs' offense.
Taking over for last season’s running backs, Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, Walker III will see a huge workload for Kansas City. His workload could end up being even bigger depending on how quickly quarterback Patrick Mahomes can return to action after tearing his ACL in Week 15 of last season.
Reports are indicating that Mahomes is recovering well and even targeting a return in time for the regular season opener. If not, however, the Chiefs won’t feel as panicked with Walker III in the backfield to give Mahomes the extra time to recover if needed.
Even when Mahomes does return, it may take a few games for him to get comfortable in the pocket again. By signing Walker III, the Chiefs intentionally got somebody who will make life easier for Mahomes both in his absence and when he gets back.
There are concerns with relying on Walker to carry the offense, however. As pointed out in the article, durability has been a concern for Walker III in previous seasons. Though he played every game of last season, he played just 11 games in 2024 and missed multiple games in his first two seasons as well.
Walker III had a great 2025 season, but there are also questions of whether or not it can be continued. He saw regression in his sophomore and junior seasons with the Seahawks before turning to form in 2025. The hope is that his 2025 play is the norm, but it wouldn't be all that surprising if he again sees a dip in his production. For the Chiefs’ sake, they’ll be hoping 2025 was only a sign of things to come for Walker III.