After years of failing to establish the run and with running game guru Eric Bieniemy returning as offensive coordinator, the Kansas City Chiefs finally decided to stop neglecting the running back position.
General manager Brett Veach gave Kenneth Walker III a three-year deal worth roughly $14.35 million a year, a steep price to pay for a free-agent ball-carrier, even a reigning Super Bowl MVP. Four games later, he's already paid back every single penny.
The former Seattle Seahawks star put up another clinic in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. And even though he's a top-ten earner at the position, it's starting to feel like he's somewhat underpaid right now.
The Kansas City Chiefs struck gold with Kenneth Walker III
Walker turned 22 carries into 177 rushing yards and two scores in Week 4, including a 76-yard explosion as well as a diving touchdown to ice the game. He also had one reception for two yards to continue his breakout season.
KENNETH. WALKER.
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) October 4, 2026
The RB traveled a total distance of 93.30 yards and hit a max speed of 21.21 MPH on this insane 76-yard gain, per @NextGenStats 🤯@KCvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/bFh3YrU7gw
Through four games, he's leading the league with 537 rushing yards, over 100 yards more than second-place James Cook at 421. He's also leading all players in yards from scrimmage (621) by a significant margin (Jahmyr Gibbs is second with 540), and he's tied for second in total touchdowns (6).
Despite the stellar production, Walker's yearly AAV ranks 9th among running backs. He's making less money than De'Von Achane, Breece Hall, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, and the league-leading Jahmyr Gibbs.
Those are undeniably some great players, but none of them have come even close to what the defending MVP has done this season. Moreover, his impact has gone well beyond his own numbers—he's brought this offense back to life and taken plenty of weight off Patrick Mahomes' shoulders.
The Walker-Mahomes-Bieniemy combination has been a joy to watch this season. The Chiefs rank in the top five in all three major categories of points, total yards, and rushing yards per game. They're also converting on third down at over a 44% rate.
For years, the Chiefs needed someone to lean on in the running game. It's been seven years since they had a 1,000-yard rusher, and Walker is midway through that mark after just a month. A strong running game is a quarterback's best friend, and Walker's impact is helping mask the team's glaring issues at wide receiver.
Even by NFL standards, $45 million is a ton of money, but after just four games, Kenneth Walker III already deserves so much more.
Add us as a preferred source on Google