KennethWalker III

News: 3 days agoWalker wants to be a mentor to the younger players in Kansas City's running back room, Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire reports.

Spin: Walker is entering his fifth NFL season and his first outside of Seattle, but in a league in which the average career lasts 3.3 years, he can be considered a veteran. The running back inked a lucrative three-year, $43.05 million contract with Kansas City in March after his Seahawks tenure culminated in a 29-13 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, a game in which Walker was named MVP. Walker turned 221 carries into 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns while also adding 31 catches for 282 yards over 17 regular-season contests in 2025. The younger backs in question include rookie fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson and second-year pro Brashard Smith. "I want them to learn quicker than I learned. I don't want there to be a drop-off at all. So, making sure those guys are good. They have been doing great," said Walker about his teammates. He's the unquestioned top option in the backfield in 2026, and he'll look to become the team's first 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt in 2017.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Walker signed with the Chiefs after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Seahawks. The reigning Super Bowl MVP and PFF's highest-graded running back from 2025, Walker is poised for feature-back duties in a good, Andy Reid-led offense. Having worked in a committee most of last season, Walker was limited to only five touchdowns and 11.3 fantasy points per game (both career lows), but he still generated 252 touches and a career-high 1,309 yards. He has yet to finish a season better than 18th in fantasy points (12th on a per-game basis) and has missed at least two games in three of four seasons in the league, but the 25-year-old's ability to contribute at a high level as a rusher and receiver is enough to position him as, at least, a solid fantasy RB2 in 2026.