The Kansas City Chiefs entered the offseason with one clear goal: To fix the running game. Bringing back Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator was a huge step in that direction, but they still needed to bolster the running corps after Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and Brashard Smith failed to generate results last season.
The Chiefs addressed that goal in free agency by giving Kenneth Walker III a four-year, $36 million contract, the largest for a running back this offseason. Now, the reigning Super Bowl MVP must make sure to live up to the expectations.
Kenneth Walker III Can't Leave the Chiefs with Doubts
Teams are often hesitant to give running backs big contracts once their rookie deals are over. Walker is still young; he'll be 26 next season, and he went nuclear in the playoffs to lead the Seattle Seahawks' explosive offense after Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending injury.
The Chiefs haven't had a 1,000-yard running back since Kareem Hunt led the league in rushing as a rookie in 2017, so even though the bar isn't particularly high, they desperately need someone to help them establish the run again. Head coach Andy Reid's team averaged a pedestrian 106.6 rushing yards per game last season, which was "good" for 25th in the league.
Walker has been a productive player despite spending most of his career in a running back committee. Now, even if the Chiefs bring Hunt back and give Brashard a bigger role in his second year, Walker will have the ignition keys and be the featured back in Missouri.
Walker Must Prove He's Worth Every Penny
With that in mind, all eyes will be on Walker to see if his performance matches his pricetag. Although he's only on the hook for a $5.6 million cap hit in 2026, according to Spotrac, that number increases to $18.6 million in the following two seasons. In other words, he'll need to keep taking his game to new heights to prove he's worth the growing figure.
A divorce won't be easy if he fails to meet expectations in Year 1. According to Spotrac, the Chiefs would absorb a dead cap hit between $18.6 million and $23 million if they want to cut Walker next offseason, highlighting why it's important for him to leave them without doubt right away.
Nevertheless, Walker should have a huge chip on his shoulder after watching his team let him go without a fight after everything he did for them in the playoffs. Seahawks general manager John Schneider essentially said that running backs were expendable, and his former team hasn't done much to find him a suitable replacement.
Walker is coming off turning 221 carries into 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 31 receptions on 36 targets for 282 receiving yards in the regular season. He's a big play waiting to happen on every carry, and his patience and physicality are only topped by his ability to turn the corner once he sees an opening.
Walker is now going to play for two offensive gurus, one who happens to be an elite running back developer like Bieniemy. And with no clear-cut competitor for touches, he should be looking at much more than 1,000 yards and double digits in scores in his first year away from Seattle.
If not, the Chiefs could have serious concerns about whether he'll be worth the rest of his contract.