News Article
Published
Jun 15, 2026 at 04:28 PM EDT
By Matt Audilet
Contributing Sports Writer
The Kansas City Chiefs added some serious offensive firepower earlier this offseason, signing reigning Super Bowl-MVP Kenneth Walker III on a three-year deal in March.
Walker, 25, is coming off his second career 1,000-yard rushing season. He earned Super Bowl MVP honors after rushing for 135 yards in the Seattle Seahawks' title victory over the New England Patriots.
Walker was brought in to take some pressure off superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes , who's recovering from a season-ending ACL tear he suffered in Week 15 of the 2025 season.
Mahomes was asked about Walker's fit with the Chiefs last week.
"You can tell he truly cares about football, he cares about his teammates," Mahomes said, via Kansas City insider Nate Taylor of ESPN. "If he's not in the play, he's helping the guys on the sideline and he's trying to learn and [is] asking me questions."
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The Chiefs' leading rusher in 2025 was Kareem Hunt, who finished the year with just 611 rushing yards. Mahomes was the team's third-leading rusher with 422 yards, closely trailing Isiah Pacheco's 462.
Now, Mahomes has a more-than-capable No. 1 option in Walker.
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"He's got a ton of energy, and you can tell he loves to play the game [and] wants to learn what we're doing here," Chiefs coach Andy Reid added of Walker. "He gets that it takes work to be good, and he's willing to do that. Stronger than an ox. I mean, he's put together."
The Chiefs will begin their 2026 regular-season schedule with a Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sep. 14.
Read the full article at Newsweek →
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