The Kansas City Chiefs took an interesting approach to the 2026 offseason.
They addressed one of their biggest needs in a significant way, signing Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III to a three-year contract. While that was a crucial move, the Chiefs somewhat puzzlingly didn’t add another notable pass catcher.
Instead, they are banking on their revamped coaching staff to make the difference in their passing attack. Kansas City focused heavily on its defensive unit during the 2026 NFL Draft, with each of its first four picks coming on that side of the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs Land at 20th in ESPN Offensive Playmaker Rankings
GettyChiefs WR Rashee Rice and TE Travis Kelce
NFL senior writer Bill Barnwell released his annual offensive playmaker rankings on Thursday. The Chiefs came in much lower than they have in years past, mostly due to the multiple question marks they have at pass catcher. Those concerns naturally begin with Rashee Rice.
“Rice was suspended to begin the season and then ended it with a knee injury, which lingered into the offseason, during which the 2023 second-round pick also spent time in jail. Rice still has obvious potential, but I don’t know how anyone could realistically project 17 games from him in 2026.”
Barnwell also has doubts about how much impact Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce will truly make in 2026.
“Worthy, coming off a big game in the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, injured his labrum after colliding with Travis Kelce while running the crossing route on mesh on the opening drive of the season and never really got right afterward. Even if we write 2025 off as a season ruined by injury, can we really say with any confidence that Worthy is something more than a secondary option in the passing game? And while Kelce slowed what had been a multiyear decline, the future Hall of Famer also dropped nine passes last season, three of which turned into Patrick Mahomes interceptions. He’s perfectly fine as a second or third target in this offense, but Kelce is not the No. 1 receiver the Chiefs need, either.”
Kenneth Walker Should Open Things up for Chiefs’ Passing Game to Improve
GettyChiefs RB Kenneth Walker III
If not for the addition of Walker, Kansas City would be among the very bottom of Barnwell’s list.
“The major upgrade should come at running back, where a Chiefs rushing attack that ranked last in the league in explosive play rate on designed runs over the past two seasons replaces Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt with Kenneth Walker III. Walker might not be quite as reliable as Hunt was in short-yardage situations, but the Chiefs have been crying out for a back who can chew up significant yardage on his own. With teams preferring to play light boxes and two deep safeties to keep Mahomes from torching them deep, Walker should face very generous looks on the ground in 2026, which could help spike his efficiency metrics.”
Adding Walker to the offense will make the lives of the Chiefs’ pass catchers much easier in 2026. Opposing defenses will have to respect K.C.’s rushing attack, which hasn’t been the case in several years. If Walker can carry over his momentum from last season with the Seattle Seahawks, the Chiefs should be able to get away with not having a deep arsenal of receiving weapons.
Kenneth Walker Saves Chiefs in ESPN’s Offensive Playmaker Rankings