The Kansas City Chiefs decided to hold running back Kenneth Walker III out of practice Tuesday due to a foot injury, raising new concerns less than three weeks before the regular season opener.
Walker signed a three-year deal worth more than $43 million with Kansas City in March, arriving fresh off a Super Bowl LX MVP performance with Seattle, so any absence during camp draws immediate scrutiny.
Multiple Chiefs beat reporters relayed the same update Tuesday morning, each citing the team’s daily practice report, and the timing puts a new name at the top of Kansas City’s injury concerns with the regular season fast approaching.
Kenneth Walker III’s Foot Injury Surfaces at Chiefs Camp
GettyNFL commissioner Roger Goodell presents the Super Bowl LX MVP trophy to Kenneth Walker III.
Chiefs beat writer Matt Derrick first reported the absence, writing that Walker is dealing with a foot issue and won’t take part in Tuesday’s session.
ESPN Chiefs writer Nate Taylor added his own confirmation soon after. The team itself is the source, Taylor noted, framing the absence as an official designation rather than a precautionary rest day, according to ESPN.
None of the three reporters detailed how the injury occurred, its severity, or imaging results if they exist. No return timeline has been made public, and the Chiefs have not addressed whether the issue is new or connected to soft-tissue problems that cost Walker time earlier in his career. Kansas City’s coaching staff has not commented publicly on the injury as of Tuesday morning.
Kansas City Chiefs Face a Crowded, Banged-Up Backfield
Walker had been a full participant through camp up to this point, working as Kansas City’s primary back in short-yardage and red-zone reps. He logged limited snaps in recent preseason exhibitions without any prior foot concerns surfacing this summer, and coaches had been building game plans around him as the clear lead back.
His track record includes multiple lower-body and soft-tissue injuries during his time in Seattle, though he stayed healthy for all of the 2025 regular season and playoffs, a run that culminated in his Super Bowl MVP award.
Walker isn’t the only name missing from Tuesday’s session. Additional accounts, including AtoZ Sports‘ Charles Goldman, listed Jack Cochrane (knee), Chamarri Conner (knee) and Ashton Gillotte (foot) among other players held out. Sports Radio 810 WHB relayed a similar list Tuesday morning, in line with the other beat accounts, pointing to a thinner practice roster than Kansas City has worked with for most of camp.
The absences arrive as Kansas City finalizes its depth chart ahead of the regular season, with the coaching staff still sorting out how carries get distributed behind Walker if he needs extra rest in the coming days. A crowded backfield could see more workload shift toward backup options while Walker’s foot is evaluated.
No further details on Walker’s timeline are expected until later Tuesday, when the Chiefs typically update participation levels following practice, a signal worth watching as Kansas City closes out its final stretch of preseason preparations before the regular season begins.
Chiefs Announce Decision on $43 Million RB Kenneth Walker After Bucs Game