KennethWalker III

News: 13 hours agoWalker has outlined how he wants to be a veteran mentor to the younger players in the running back room with the Chiefs, Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire reports.

Spin: Walker is entering his fifth NFL season, and his first with the Chiefs, but in a league where the average career lasts 3.3 years, he can be considered a veteran. The running back inked a lucrative three-year, $43.05 million contract with Kansas City in March, leaving Seattle after four productive seasons, the last of which culminated in a 29-13 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, a game in which Walker was named MVP. Walker turned 221 carries into 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns while also adding 31 catches for 282 yards over 17 regular-season contests in 2025. The 25-year-old has now joined a running back room that includes rookie fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson and second-year pro Brashard Smith. "I want them to learn quicker than I learned. I don't want there to be a drop-off at all. So, making sure those guys are good. They have been doing great," said Walker about the youngsters. Regardless of his affinity for his teammates, Walker is the obvious top option in the Chiefs' backfield in 2026, and he'll look to become the team's first 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt in 2017.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Walker signed with the Chiefs after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Seahawks. The reigning Super Bowl MVP and PFF's highest-graded running back from 2025, Walker is poised for feature-back duties in a good, Andy Reid-led offense. Having worked in a committee most of last season, Walker was limited to only five touchdowns and 11.3 fantasy points per game (both career lows), but he still generated 252 touches and a career-high 1,309 yards. He has yet to finish a season better than 18th in fantasy points (12th on a per-game basis) and has missed at least two games in three of four seasons in the league, but the 25-year-old's ability to contribute at a high level as a rusher and receiver is enough to position him as, at least, a solid fantasy RB2 in 2026.