The 2025 Kansas City Chiefs rushed for a grand total of 1,812 yards, the eighth-fewest in the NFL. Their 4.2 yards per carry were tied for tenth in the league, though most of that was thanks to Patrick Mahomes averaging 30.1 rushing yards per game and 6.6 yards per scramble.
The Chiefs' running game has been mediocre at best for years now, but it reached a new low last season. That was one of the reasons that may have prompted Eric Bieniemy's return as offensive coordinator, given his well-documented expertise with the running game.
However, it will take much more than one guy to fix this mess. That's why, as exciting as Kenneth Walker III's arrival might be, there's still plenty of work to be done. To share some context on just how bad the Chiefs' running game was, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes took time on her podcast, The Mina Kimes Show, to run some numbers, and it's... not good.
ESPN's Mina Kimes shared some troubling statistics on KC's run game and the results were shocking
"People are sleeping on how bad this run game was and how kind of artificially inflated it's been by a few things," Kimes said. "They finished seventh in rushing success rate last year. But when you take out quarterback runs and then short yardage runs, they dropped to 29th. Mahomes and the fact that they faced the most light boxes in football has almost covered up for how bad this run game has been over the last two years."
Walker is used to efficient, run-heavy offenses. He's an explosive and sturdy back who will undoubtedly lift this team's ceiling, but he's just one man. A lot will need to change for him to be successful.
This team hasn't had a 1,000-yard running back since rookie Kareem Hunt. They revamped the running back room with Walker, rookie Emmett Johnson, and free agent signee Emari Demercado. That's a nice start, and Brashard Smith should also have a role as their passing-downs back.
That said, these issues might run deeper than just the personnel. Blocking schemes must change, play-calling has to be more creative, and the overall system must adapt and evolve. KC got off to a strong start to that by having Patrick Mahomes take more snaps under center instead of out of the shotgun in the first couple of days of Chiefs training camp, but it might not be enough.
Mahomes from under center TD to Gray.. pic.twitter.com/RG2y6Gqa61
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) July 30, 2026
The Chiefs had the fewest explosive runs (20-plus yards) in the league last season (3). To be fair, they also had the eighth-fewest carries (430), but that wasn't only because they were constantly relying on Mahomes' arm; they just couldn't get anything done on the ground and were constantly trailing.
Getting the right personnel was a big win for the front office. Unfortunately, Coach Bieniemy is also dealing with some delicate and much more important stuff off the field, and it would be more than understandable if he had to step away for a while.
One-dimensional offenses won't get it done in 2026. As great as Mahomes is, even if he had the supporting cast he needs (which he doesn't), defenses have gotten too versatile, too savvy, and too versed in the fine art of taking down the opposition's strengths. You need a running game.
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