The Kansas City Chiefs will be without one of the NFL’s most productive running backs when they face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Kenneth Walker III has been ruled out with a groin injury suffered during Thursday’s practice, a decision ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed Saturday after he sat out Friday’s session while listed as questionable.
Walker, 26, joined the Chiefs this offseason on a three-year, $43 million free-agent deal weeks after earning Super Bowl LX MVP honors with the Seattle Seahawks.
He has quickly become central to Kansas City’s offense, ranking second in the league with 872 rushing yards—eight behind Falcons back Bijan Robinson.
Because of an early bye, Walker has played one fewer game and leads the NFL in rushing yards per game at 109. At his current pace he would finish near 1,750 rushing yards, a total that would place him among the league’s elite single-season efforts.
Coach Andy Reid said Friday that Walker reported groin tightness that morning and was held out of the final on-field practice.
Sources indicated the strain is considered minor, but the timing left too little recovery window for a road game.
The Chiefs’ preference, according to a source, is simply “to give him a week,” protecting the fifth-year pro rather than risking a longer absence later in the season.
In Walker’s place, fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson is expected to handle the bulk of the carries.
Johnson has already carved out a meaningful complementary role, taking roughly 30 percent of offensive snaps as the clear No. 2 back.
On the season, he has 111 rushing yards at 4.3 yards per carry with one touchdown, plus 14 receptions for 237 yards and another score, showing he can contribute both as a runner and in the passing game.
The absence removes a head-to-head between the league’s top two rushers and forces the Chiefs to lean more heavily on a young backfield against a Falcons defense that has already faced several strong running attacks.
Kansas City has emphasized throughout the week that it will not push Walker if he is not ready, a cautious stance consistent with Reid’s stated approach of monitoring the injury through rehab rather than forcing availability.
Walker’s next opportunity is expected the following week, provided the extra rest allows the groin to settle.
For Sunday in Atlanta, the offense will move forward without its leading rusher, testing the depth the team has built behind its high-profile free-agent addition.
