The Chiefs have opened 2-0 with back-to-back primetime wins, and Kenneth Walker III has been right at the center of it.
Kansas City’s latest victory came in dramatic fashion, a 33-30 overtime escape against Indianapolis sealed by Harrison Butker in the final seconds. Through those first two games, Walker has looked every bit like the workhorse the Chiefs paid for when he signed a monster deal at the start of free agency.
But ESPN’s Nate Taylor sees the early workload as something closer to a mirage than a season-long blueprint.
"Walker, though, shouldn't continue to have 26 to 30 touches every game. The Chiefs also should give more opportunities to rookie Emmett Johnson, who has been productive in his limited carries."
That’s the tension now: Walker has been used like a bell cow from the jump, and the numbers back it up. He has 47 carries and 9 receptions through two games, along with 16 total targets in the passing game. In other words, Kansas City has wasted no time making him the engine of the offense.
He’s also leading the NFL in rushing, sitting comfortably ahead of Baltimore’s Derrick Henry.
Still, the question hanging over the Chiefs is whether that kind of usage needs to continue at full throttle. Does Walker really need 24 to 30 touches a game, or is Kansas City simply leaning on what’s working while the schedule is still manageable?
Against Indianapolis in Week 2, the volume stayed high. Patrick Mahomes attempted 47 passes, though that included the overtime period, and Walker was targeted 10 times, good for second on the team behind Travis Kelce.
For now, the Chiefs can point to the old rule that says if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Walker has handled the load without a hitch.
But there’s another side to it, too. Over a 17-game season, the Chiefs have to think about the risk of running Walker into the ground or leaving him vulnerable to injury.
That’s where Emmett Johnson enters the picture. The rookie fifth-round pick from Nebraska has only 10 carries and 4 targets so far, but the Chiefs may need to carve out more work for him if they want to keep Walker fresh.
Week 3 brings the winless Miami Dolphins to town, and it could be the spot for Eric Bieniemy and Andy Reid to ease off the gas a little if Kansas City builds an early lead.
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Fields is there for a reason, and the Chiefs have no obvious incentive to weaken their own depth chart just to make life easier for New York. If the Giants want another option, they may have to look beyond Kansas City and explore the kind of stopgap routes that have been available before, including a free agent like Jimmy Garoppolo, instead of expecting a handout from a contender. [Read more 🡒]
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Chiefs Face One Big Week 3 Question Beyond Beating Miami
The Chiefs head into Week 3 as one of the NFLs unbeaten teams, and the trip to face the 0-2 Dolphins brings the kind of test that can be trickier than it looks on paper. Between the injury report and the usual early-season scrutiny, Kansas City has plenty to sort through before kickoff, including its left tackle situation and the possibility of getting Josh Simmons and Mansoor Delane back in the mix.
Miami may not match Kansas Citys talent level, but that is exactly what makes this week interesting. The bigger question is whether the Chiefs can stay sharp against a struggling opponent while managing the details that matter over the long haul, from protection up front to roster health, with weather and outside predictions adding another layer to a game that still has to be played on the field. [Read more 🡒]