The Kansas City Chiefs leaned hard on Kenneth Walker III in the first two weeks of the season, and the early returns have been hard to argue with. The question now is how long that workload can last.
Walker has handled 56 touches through two games, totaling 369 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He rushed 23 times for 173 yards and a score against Denver in Week 1, adding three catches for 18 yards and another touchdown.
Against Indianapolis on Sunday night, he carried 24 times for 117 yards and caught six passes for 61 yards.
Those numbers put him among the league’s most used backs. He has seen 16 targets already and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Kansas City signed him in the offseason to a three-year, $43.05 million contract after he won Super Bowl LX MVP honors with Seattle, and the Chiefs have treated him like the featured back they paid him to be.
That usage has drawn a caution flag. ESPN asked its team reporters for one early surprise and whether it would hold up. Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor shared his.
“Early surprise: ‘RB Kenneth Walker III is getting a ton of work’ The Verdict: ‘Mirage. It’s understandable why coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy wanted to put the ball in Walker’s hands early and often. Of course, Patrick Mahomes was returning from torn ligaments in his left knee, and undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson started at left tackle with Josh Simmons out because of a lower back injury. Walker, though, shouldn’t continue to have 26 to 30 touches every game. The Chiefs also should give more opportunities to rookie Emmett Johnson, who has been productive in his limited carries.’”
The context around that heavy early diet was real. Mahomes was easing back after knee surgery, and the left tackle situation was unsettled. Feeding Walker kept the offense on schedule while the passing game found its footing.
Fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson has already shown he can handle more. The Nebraska product has 14 touches for 103 yards. He ran eight times for 24 yards and caught two passes for 44 yards in the opener, then added two carries for 15 yards and two receptions for 20 yards against the Colts.
Johnson was selected 161st overall after rushing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior. He also caught 46 passes for 370 yards that season. In Kansas City he has been efficient in limited snaps, especially as a receiver.
Reid said Monday that Johnson’s role is expected to grow.
“The other part is allowing Emmett to grow. And so I think Emmett will continue to get more snaps, and that’ll take a little bit of the load off Kenny. But he wants that ball. He wants the ball every play. Ken does, and he’s not asking to be relieved or anything else,” Reid said. “But I think as it goes on, you get a nice balance with those two in there, and then it keeps them even more fresh as the season goes on.”
That balance matters because Walker has not been an every-down ironman for four straight years. He missed 10 games across his first four NFL seasons in Seattle. Kansas City has a 17-game regular season plus a possible playoff run, and the staff has no interest in grinding him down in September.
Mahomes also showed Sunday that the passing game remains the engine. He completed 32 of 47 throws for 382 yards and three touchdowns in the 33-30 overtime win over Indianapolis. Even with a stronger run game, Reid is not about to abandon the air attack that built this franchise.
The Chiefs finished last season 25th in rushing yards per game at 106.6 and 20th in yards per carry. They have already flipped that script, averaging 186 rushing yards through two weeks. Walker is the main reason. Johnson is the insurance policy.
Nobody around the building is talking about a 50-50 split. Walker is the lead back and will stay that way. The more likely path is a modest cut from 28 to 30 touches toward the mid-20s, with Johnson picking up extra series and third-down work.
Kansas City is 2-0 heading into a Week 3 trip to Miami. If the plan holds, Walker will still get the bulk of the carries. He just may not have to take every one of them.
