Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal with the team after winning the MVP in the Super Bowl. Walker rushed 23 times for 173 yards and a touchdown, and he caught three passes for 18 yards and a score through the air, in a 31-10 win on Monday Night Football at home against the Denver Broncos.
He made his presence felt immediately, rushing seven times for 32 yards on the opening drive, which saw quarterback Patrick Mahomes run 15 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive. Walker gave way to rookie running back Emmett Johnson on the second drive, but it wound up being a three-and-out.
Walker ran for tough yardage but didn’t break one until a 28-yard gain late in the second quarter. The game plan was clear: feed their new weapon in the backfield. Walker finished with 14 carries for 89 yards and two catches for 16 yards in the first half. Pat McAfee noted at halftime on the ESPN broadcast that 62 of Walker’s 89 first-half yards came after contact.
Walker is known to break tackles and stack up yardage after contact. He forced 61 missed tackles in 2025 and totaled more than 600 yards after contact. He also tallied 33 runs of double-digit yardage, and of those, 10 gained more than 20 yards. The Chiefs had just three runs of 20-plus yards all of last season.
In the first drive of the second half, on 4th-and-1, Walker made the crowd erupt. He ran off left tackle and took it 60 yards to the house, forcing multiple missed tackles along the way.
After that run, Walker had run for more yards (127) under center than any Chiefs running back had in over a decade, according to ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak. He helped put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter when the Chiefs used a trick play. The Chiefs brought in backup quarterback Justin Fields, who lined up in the backfield with Mahomes, and Mahomes used a shovel pass to K9 for a 2-yard touchdown catch.
Walker has opened up a layer of the Chiefs offense they haven’t had in a few years. Mahomes was off target at times in his first game action since tearing his ACL and LCL nine months ago. It was difficult to move the ball through the air against the Broncos defense. It didn’t matter, thanks to No. 9.
