The Kansas City Chiefs are off to 4-0 start in 2026, thanks in large part to running back Kenneth Walker III.
Walker has been the centerpiece of Kansas City’s offense, recording 99 total touches on the season thus far. With those he has racked up league-leading 537 rushing yards with four touchdowns, as well as 84 receiving yards with two touchdowns.
Kansas City Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III Is in Historic Company After 4 Games
During the Chiefs’ Week 4 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Walker rushed for a career high 177 yards. It was the second time he has eclipsed the 170-yard rushing mark this season, as he put up 173 against the Denver Broncos in Week 1.
Per NFL research, Walker is now one of only three players (Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson) in NFL history to run for over 170 yards multiple times within the first four games of the season.
“Kenneth Walker III finished with 177 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in Week 4, the second time he’s had 170-plus rushing yards in his first four games with the Chiefs. Walker joins Jim Brown (1958 and 1963) and O.J. Simpson (1973 and 1975) as the only players in NFL history with multiple 170-plus rushing games in their team’s first four games of a season.”
Walker Is Having an MVP Worthy Season
It’s next to impossible for a non-quarterback to win the MVP award, but Walker certainly has a case through the first four games of 2026. He is on pace to finish the season with 2,283 rushing yards, which would break Eric Dickerson’s all-time single season record of 2,105 yards. The last player to win MVP who wasn’t a quarterback was a running back — Adrian Peterson in 2012.
Peterson finished that year with 2,097 rushing yards. Walker is also in rarified air as far as total yards from scrimmage is concerned. He has recorded 170+ scrimmage yards three times in just four weeks. The only other players in NFL history to achieve that are Brown, Simpson, Billy Sims, and Christian McCaffrey.
Walker has been on an absolute tear since Week 15 of last season when he was with the Seattle Seahawks. Since then, he has accumulated over 100 total yards from scrimmage in eight out of 10 games. Walker was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week back in Week 1, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.
Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III In Historic Company After 4 Games