The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a perfect 4-0 start in 2026.
They were unfortunately dealt an early Week 5 bye week, so they’ll have a long 13-game stretch to close the year out. Plenty of things went well for the Chiefs during the first quarter of the season, but there are questions hovering over the team that could define how everything shakes out come January.
Can Kansas City Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III Keep up His Current Pace?
There are a couple things to unpack here. The first that comes to mind is if Walker will maintain the same workload he’s had throughout the first four games. Walker has tallied 87 carries and 12 receptions so far, good for 99 total touches. That puts him on pace for 425 touches on the season, which would be the 19th-most in NFL history.
If he does come close to that, one has to wonder if he’ll continue to make the same impact down the stretch after all of that wear and tear starts to take a toll. The second half of the equation is the Chiefs getting backup running back Emmett Johnson more involved to help preserve Walker. Johnson has proven to be effective in relief of Walker, averaging 6.2 yards per touch this season.
Can Chiefs Improve in Short-Yardage Situations?
Kansas City has hit plenty of big plays this season, but hasn’t been very good in short-yardage situations. That has haunted coach Andy Reid’s offenses more often than not over the years. The Chiefs have been stuffed too may times on third and fourth downs with less than five yards to go.
Kansas City has a great interior offensive line led by center Creed Humphrey, as well as guards Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia. That leaves little excuse to continually get stuffed on short-yardage runs. The Chiefs have often utilized defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga at fullback. They could get Ben VanSumeren, who is a true fullback, more involved as the season unfolds.
Can The Chiefs Turn QB Pressures Into Sacks?
Kansas City’s pass rush started the season off hot, sacking Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix four times. Since then, however, it has not posted a single sack in any of the last three games. Despite that, the Chiefs’ defense has still played pretty well overall. The unit has recorded the 11th-most quarterback pressures in the NFL with 39.
Defensive end George Karlaftis has the seventh-most with 12. While those are important, the Chiefs are going to need to start translating a good portion of those into sacks. Quarterbacks are able to escape pressures and still make plays at times. Getting sacks puts offenses in tough long-yardage situations.
Who Is Going to Be the Chiefs’ Big-Play WR?
Tyquan Thornton being out for most, if not the remainder of the season is a big blow to the Chiefs’ offense. Thornton has been its only legitimate downfield threat that can beat man-to-man coverage, averaging 19.9 yards per catch. The rest of Kansas City’s receiving corps is made up of short-to-intermediate route runners who play better against zone coverage.
The only other receiver the Chiefs have who possesses top-end speed is Xavier Worthy. However, Worthy has been inconsistent so far this season, and hasn’t been the deep threat that he was expected to be when he was drafted back in 2024. If nobody can step up, Kansas City may have to acquire someone via trade or free agency.
4 Chiefs Questions That Will Define the Rest of the Season