The centerpiece of the Kansas City Chiefs offseason was the complete reconstruction of the backfield, specifically with the acquisition of running back Kenneth Walker III as the primary free agent prize. Three weeks before the Chiefs are set to introduce Walker and a new ground game to the NFL, the star back is reportedly dealing with a "foot issue" that will keep him from practicing.
The Chiefs noted that Walker will sit on Tuesday, which brings up a host of questions at this stage, but nothing further was made clear about the running back's status as of press time. Walker's a new addition to the Chiefs injury report, but he was able to play a few snaps on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has been practicing even since then, so this is a new development.
The Chiefs signed Walker to a three-year deal this spring potentially worth nearly $45 million, the first of several shifts in a backfield that watched the contracts of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt expire after serving as the primary backs for each of the last two seasons. Alongside Walker, the Chiefs also signed former Cardinals RB Emari Demercado and drafted Nebraska's Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the '26 draft. Together with second-year holdover Brashard Smith, the Chiefs now have a much greater range of skills and overall dynamism than they've had in years.
Kenneth Walker’s absence will test the Chiefs’ rebuilt running back depth.
Walker cashed in after winning the Super Bowl MVP trophy for the Seattle Seahawks in February. Walker racked up 221 carries for 1,027 rushing yards and 5 scores on the ground during the regular season in tandem with Zach Charbonnet, but upped the ante in the postseason with 417 yards from scrimmage and 4 touchdowns in 3 postseason appearances.
Until the Chiefs provide an update, there's no reason to believe the concern around Walker's foot is significant. What is alarming at all is that Walker could be limited given the anticipation around his arrival. With Patrick Mahomes still not taking any reps at all in even a preseason game, the Chiefs' ground game is going to be far more important than ever before. Walker's dynamism genuinely changes how opposing coordinators will prepare for the Chiefs offense—assuming he's healthy.
Walker was unlikely to play much, if at all, in the team's third and final preseason game—notably against his former team, the Seahawks—but those opportunities are now obvious for Demercado, Johnson, Smith and even developmental players like E.J. Smith and Jaydn Ott. Hopefully, Walker's foot is a minor concern. If so, Chiefs trainers have three weeks to work with before it becomes a real problem. For now, it's a new situation to monitor for a team that's already watching the status of several players on the injury report.
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