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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason has felt more urgent than usual.
After a surprising 6–11 finish that left fans and front-office skeptics questioning personnel and identity, the biggest question hanging over Arrowhead is the same one teams often face after a stumble: Do you patch the roster or reset the core?
Kansas City entered free agency with a glaring hole at running back and a growing belief that the offense needs more balance, especially with Patrick Mahomes working his way back from a torn ACL and LCL, and protection remaining a concern.
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That’s why a seemingly routine offseason projection quickly turned into a headline.
On Friday, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz projected one signing for every NFL team and linked the Chiefs to former Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III, a move designed to ease the burden on Mahomes and inject explosiveness into the backfield.
“The Chiefs need not just a running back, but a running back who can also serve as a receiving outlet for Patrick Mahomes,” Schatz wrote. “His ability to generate explosive plays could be a valuable part of lifting the Chiefs’ offense back to the top of the league."
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Walker finished last season with 1,027 rushing yards, his highest total since his 2022 rookie campaign, along with five touchdowns.
He remained a steady factor in the passing game as well, hauling in 31 receptions for 282 yards while averaging 4.6 yards per carry and an explosive 9.1 yards per catch.
Walker capped the year with a signature moment, earning Super Bowl LX MVP honors after rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries and adding 26 receiving yards to deliver the Seahawks their first championship since 2013.
Now set to hit free agency for the first time in his four-year NFL career, the 25-year-old instantly becomes one of the most intriguing young backs on the market.
The Chiefs’ offense, long built on elite passing and yards after catch from its skill players, lacks a reliably explosive downhill runner who can also create mismatches on third down and in creatively designed packages.
Walker’s combination of inside-run burst and a 9.1 yards-per-catch average last season gives head coach Andy Reid a plug-and-play weapon who can ease the burden on Mahomes while forcing defenses to think twice about living in two-high safety shells.
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