The Kansas City Chiefs, perhaps most of all, need to improve at running back this offseason. Sure, there are other roster needs, especially now in the secondary, but the rushing attack has suffered for multiple seasons now, and it's totally thrown the offense off the tracks.
With the Chiefs clearly transitioning into a bit of a new era, General Manager Brett Veach surely has to be a lot more deliberate with the players he signs and who he drafts, as the past few offseasons in this realm just have not produced good enough results.
With Patrick Mahomes set to turn 31 years old this September, the urgency should be kicked up a notch, as he's not 26 anymore, and with his ACL recovery now being a thing, physical limitations have to be considered. Well, could the Chiefs splurge on one of the top free agents on the market?
Kansas City Chiefs appear to be firmly in play for Kenneth Walker III
In the latest episode of Jets Final Drive, featuring Connor Hughes and Zach Rosenblatt, they note that the Chiefs are a team to watch in the Kenneth Walker III sweepstakes in free agency. Walker was obviously the Super Bowl MVP this year and ran all over the New England Patriots.
Walker is set to enter his age-26 season in the 2026 campaign and is obviously set to cash in big-time in free agency. In his four years with the Seattle Seahawks, Walker ran for 3,555 yards and had two 1,000-yard campaigns in 2022 and 2025.
In total, Walker amassed 4,560 scrimmage yards and 31 touchdowns in his regular season career, averaging a healthy 4.8 yards per touch. While there are better running backs in the NFL, it's at least refreshing to hear that the Chiefs are going to be players for Walker.
The Chiefs rushing attack was kind of patched together for multiple years, and in 2025, there were zero running backs on the roster who ran for at least 4.0 yards per tote, which is flat-out inexcusable and a recipe for disaster in today's NFL.
Sure, Walker isn't the best in pass protection, and he's not necessarily the most explosive, but he does have a track record of production, and running backs can see their performance boosted if they're paired with a top quarterback.
There is a path toward prolific success with Walker joining the Chiefs, but this would not be a cheap move. Veach would surely have to put together a strong three or four-year offer, perhaps flirting with $15 million per season.
This also opens up another can of worms in regards to paying running backs, which is not something that is universally agreed upon. However, the Chiefs are in a dire situation, so adding Walker feels like a slam-dunk move.