Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III runs the ball during training camp on Friday, July 31, 2026 in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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When the Kansas City Chiefs signed running back Kenneth Walker III during the offseason, it filled an obvious need.
In 2025 the Chiefs run game ranked just 25th in the NFL, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes accounted for almost one-fourth of the team’s 1,812 rushing yards.
Most significantly, the Chiefs also lacked big-chunk plays. Kareem Hunt had a 33-yard run, but Isiah Pacheco’s longest run was just 16 yards.
“Certainly, we want to get more explosive in the run game,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said at the 2026 NFL Combine. “It would take a lot of pressure off of Pat.”
But the question was whether the Chiefs got good value for Walker when they signed him to a three-year, $43.05 million deal.
Running backs can be acquired on the cheap. Of all NFL positions, it had the lowest monetary value for franchise and transition tags in 2026.
On a team that is already paying top-of-the-market money (or close to it) to Mahomes, Chris Jones, Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey, Walker became the fourth-highest-paid running back — in terms of average annual value (AAV) — in the league.
In comparison — Hunt was signed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal during 2025, and Pacheco signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Detroit Lions for 2026.
Sure, Walker should perform better than either player, but was Walker worth seven times more?
Suddenly, though, the Super Bowl LX MVP’s deal is looking more affordable.
In the months since Walker signed with Kansas City, Devon Achane signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension with the Miami Dolphins, and Breece Hall signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract with the New York Jets.
Then on Tuesday the Atlanta Falcons re-signed Bijan Robinson to a three-year extension worth up to $75 million, which will make him the highest-paid running back in the NFL.
Walker is now the seventh-highest-paid running back NFL in terms of AAV.
And though the Chiefs only have had two padded practices so far, Walker has looked like a player deserving of that contract.
“He’s going to be tough to tackle,” said Joe Bleymaier who is filling in as offensive coordinator while Eric Bieniemy tends to his family, following a tragic situation. “He brings another element to the offense.”
When the Chiefs had players like Damien Williams or Jerick McKinnon, the screen was one of their best offensive plays, but that pass play to the running back had become less prolific in recent years.
The Chiefs have not only used Walker on screens, but on Tuesday they employed him heavily on short-yardage plays, which formerly had been Hunt’s role.
“Anywhere I can make a positive impact,” Walker said.
Though Walker was listed at just 5-9 and 216 pounds during Super Bowl LX, he’s a sculpted, powerful player. Head coach Andy Reid described him as being “stronger than an ox.”
“I mean, he’s put together,” Reid said.
And his speed and elusiveness should help the Chiefs address one of their biggest weaknesses from 2025 — a lack of explosive plays.
Walker proved to be adept at that on the highest stage.
He had the two of the three longest plays from scrimmage in Super Bowl LX, running for gains of 30 and 29 in the second quarter.
“He’s a dynamic player, freak athlete, great with his reads,” Humphrey said. “We’re really excited to get him in there.”
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