The Kansas City Chiefs have had several stand out performances so far in 2026.
It’s hard to believe, but we’re already one quarter into the regular season. Kansas City is sitting at a perfect 4-0 record, and is now on its bye week. There is still a long ways to go, but the Chiefs have several high-ranking candidates for season awards.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Leading Candidate for Comeback Player of the Year
On Thursday Bill Barnwell of ESPN revealed his leaders for quarter-season NFL awards. Perhaps the most least surprising is Mahomes at No. 1 for Comeback Player of the Year.
“Mahomes has returned from a torn ACL and looked, frankly, better than the guy we saw over the past few years. The addition of Kenneth Walker III has gone a long way, but Mahomes has been more accurate as a deep passer while retaining his ability to throw off platform like nobody else in football.”
Barring a significant injury or complete unforseen collapse, Mahomes is pretty much a lock to win this award.
Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III Tied Atop Offensive Player of the Year Candidates
No surprise here either, as Walker leads the NFL in rushing and total scrimmage yards. However, he does have competition from Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson for the top spot.
“The race between the top two running backs is even closer. Have fun picking between Walker and Robinson. Both backs have 99 touches this season. Walker has produced 621 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. Robinson has 614 yards from scrimmage and five scores. We’re talking about fractional differences here between two RBs who are dominating opposing defenses through four games.”
It will be interesting to see how close Walker and Robinson’s production remains throughout the season. Given their quarterback situation, the Falcons may be a little more dependent on Robinson than the Chiefs are with Walker.
Chiefs OT Kahlil Benson Second Among Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidates
The most pleasant surprise for Kansas City so far this season has been Benson. He hasn’t been perfect, but is playing significantly better than most would have imagined.
“Where did this come from? Pushed into the starting lineup by Josh Simmons’ back injury, Benson has stepped in at left tackle and looked like a seasoned pro. The undrafted free agent has been left on an island at the sixth-highest rate of any left tackle in the NFL and more than held his own, allowing one sack through four games.”
Expectations were low for the undrafted rookie free agent when he was chosen to replace the injured Josh Simmons as the starting left tackle. If and when Simmons is ready to return, the Chiefs may move Benson to the starting right tackle position over Jaylon Moore.
Chiefs Well Represented in NFL’s Quarter-Season Awards