Kenneth Walker of the Kansas City Chiefs runs for a 76-yard gain ahead of Jeremy Chinn of the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 4, 2026. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Last year’s Super Bowl MVP could very well become the ensuing season’s regular-season MVP.
Through the quarter mark of the season — or what would’ve been so before the NFL went from 16 games to 17 in 2021 — Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker has been the most valuable player in all of football.
Last year’s Chiefs team finished 6-11 and had the 25th-ranked rushing offense.
Now they’re the only undefeated team in the AFC and have third best running game in the NFL.
Sure, two-time, regular-season MVP Patrick Mahomes has made a remarkable recovery from reconstructive knee surgery, but last year the Chiefs lacked big-chunk plays in the running game.
During the whole season, running back Kareem Hunt had one 33-yard run, and Isiah Pacheco’s longest run was just 16 yards.
In 2026 Walker, the NFL’s leading rusher, is one explosive play waiting to happen. He already tops all running backs with six plays of runs of more than 20 yards.
Walker began the season by turning a 4th-and-1 play into a 60-yard touchdown run.
His latest game-changing play came at the end of the third quarter in a game that the Las Vegas Raiders had led for the majority, and it went for 76 yards.
“Man, that’s normal for him,” Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy said. “We just tell him to take over.”
Walker took over the Week Four game when the Chiefs lined up in three-tight-end set. He then ran between the blocks of right guard Trey Smith and right tackle Jaylon Moore. According to Zebra Technologies’ analytics, the play was only expected to gain five yards.
Gaining extra yards had been Walker’s modus operandi. Not only does he have the speed to outrun defenders, but he also has a knack for breaking their tackles.
He leads the NFL in missed tackles forced this season with 43, and the next highest is Detroit Lions superstar Jahmyr Gibbs, who is 15 behind.
Running Back As MVP?
The MVP has basically been a quarterback award of late.
The last running back — and also non-quarterback — to win it was Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
Peterson rushed for 2,097 in 16 games, and Walker is on pace for 2,282 in 17 games. That would break the single-season mark Eric Dickerson set in the 16-game, 1984 season.
So Walker earning MVP honors would be historic — and valuable in more ways than one.
The last two winners were Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2025 and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in 2024. Stafford was in the middle of a two-year, $84 million extension, and Allen was on a six-year, $258 million extension.
Walker would represent a much cheaper alternative as MVP. He is in the first year of a three-year, $43.05 million contract.
Helping The Passing Game
And the player with 537 rushing yards does more than run the ball. He has opened up the passing game.
Because of the threat of Walker and the run game, the Chiefs are using the play-action passing game more than ever.
On the very first play of Week Three, a play-action fake to Walker led to Travis Kelce being wide open down the field and to a 48-yard gain — the game’s longest play.
A three-down back, Walker already has 84 receiving yards, which is on pace for a career high of 357.
“I could always catch the ball,” Walker said. “I just didn’t really have opportunities to catch the ball. Coach (Andy) Reid sees that I can catch and make plays in space. So I feel like that’s like credit to Coach Reid.”
And credit to Chiefs general manager Brett Veach for acquiring Walker in what is shaping up to be the wisest NFL signing this year.
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