The Kansas City Chiefs have signed a lot of new free agents during the offseason, but none bigger than running back Kenneth Walker III.
Walker spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, rushing for over 1,000 yards twice during that span. He’s coming off an excellent three-game postseason stretch when he rushed for 313 yards and four touchdowns, culminating in being named Super Bowl LX MVP.
Walker is taking over for former starting Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who is now with the Detroit Lions. In 2025 Walker rushed for only 46 less yards than Pacheco and backup Kareem Hunt combined. Kansas City will be relying on Walker’s big-play speed to add an explosive dimension to its rushing attack.
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid Speaks on Kenneth Walker III Signing for First Time
GettyRB Kenneth Walker III
While speaking to NFL insider Judy Battista, Reid shared his excitement on Walker being added to his offense.
“He’s a good football player, and it won’t change. He’s not gonna change coming to us,” Reid said of Walker. “He’s still going to be a good football player. As long as he stays healthy and moves forward, good things can happen for you. We know that the run game’s important and we’ve got good offensive linemen in front of him, so that will be a plus for him. It should be a plus for our football team.”
Reid obviously isn’t going to tip his hand on how he will utilize Walker, but he likely played a significant role in bringing him to Kansas City. Reid went on to say that he and he’s spent a lot of time reflecting after a disastrous 2025 season that resulted in the Chiefs finishing with a 6-11 record.
“We’ve had a lot of time to think about it,” he said. “This has been a long offseason, but it’s great to reflect, great to go back in and turn what in your mind is a negative, having the end of the season the way we did, into a positive by retooling. Making sure that you’re getting healthy — coaches and players — so, stay on top of that. And then go take advantage of it as you work into this next season.”
Chiefs’ Running Game Will Look Much Different in 2026
GettyRB Emari Demercado.
Reid hasn’t had a running back with as high of a ceiling as Walker has since Hunt’s first tenure in Kansas City from 2017-2018. When quarterback Patrick Mahomes was paired with Hunt in 2018, the Chiefs’ offense was operating at a historic pace.
Opposing defenses had to pick their poison between keying in on Mahomes or Hunt, a formula which will hopefully be replicated with Mahomes and Walker. Walker isn’t the only new running back in Kansas City, as it signed Emari Demercado to back him up.
Demercado spent the first three season of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, averaging an impressive 6.5 yards per carry during that time. Like Walker, Demercado possesses good speed and receiving abilities.
Not to be forgotten is Brashard Smith, who was a seventh-round draft pick by the Chiefs last year. Smith is also a speedster with pass catching skills, as he played the wide receiver position early in his collegiate career at Miami.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid Breaks Silence on Kenneth Walker III Signing