Seattle Seahawks fans could have told Chiefs Kingdom exactly what was coming.
When the Kansas City Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker III away in free agency on a three-year, $43 million deal with $28.7M guaranteed, the selling point was obvious: a recent Super Bowl MVP who piled up 313 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in a deep postseason run. For a backfield that posted the lowest explosive RB rush rates of any team this century, per ESPN's Ben Solak, Walker is a godsend.
Andy Reid has been gushing about Walker since March, but the on-field stuff was never really the question. What Seahawks fans knew, and what Chiefs Kingdom is finding out, is that the person matches the player. Not only is the production obvious, with an elite skill set that raises the ceiling considerably, but he's the sort of all-in competitor and teammate who is earning respect from the Chiefs' stars.
Nobody's endorsement carries more weight at Arrowhead than Patrick Mahomes', and the quarterback didn't hold back when asked about his new running back after a spring practice:
"He's a great dude. That's the first thing I noticed. You can tell he truly cares about football, (and) he cares about his teammates. If he's not in the play, he's helping the guys on the sideline, and he's trying to learn and asking me questions and doing those things. He's a great football player, even from what y'all saw (Thursday), it's special. The way he's able to run the football, catch the football, (and) do everything. I said, 'I'm kind of built like him (laughing), but not just built like him yet.' He's going to help us a lot on this team, by his mindset and the football player that he is."
The reigning Super Bowl LX MVP is already winning over the most important voice in the building.
Reid hit the same notes a day earlier, praising Walker's energy and willingness to work before landing on the scouting report of the spring: "Stronger than an ox. I mean, he's put together."
The detail worthy of notice in Mahomes' answer isn't the "great football player" part, since anyone who watched Super Bowl LX already knew that. It's the image of Walker coaching guys up on the sideline, and the running back peppering Mahomes with questions during a May practice he could have coasted through. That's the sort of player who is ready to live up to his new paycheck, to help reinvigorate an offense that has grown stale in recent years.
The Chiefs need Walker to be a self-starter. Mahomes is working his way back from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, which means Walker is going to be a centerpiece from the outset. The Chiefs have a new positional coach at RB, a new offensive coordinator, and a completely rebuilt backfield. There's a real learning curve ahead for everyone, which is why Walker's inquisitive manner matters as much as the 9.95% explosive run rate he posted last season.
Walker isn't the only impressive new face in the room, since the Chiefs also signed Emari Demercado and drafted Emmett Johnson. It also helps to have a top-10 offensive line led by an interior of elite performers. But the Chiefs are going to need Walker to be a quick study, and it seems like he's putting in the time and effort required to help lead the offense in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.
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