By the time Chiefs rookies and quarterbacks report to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph in two weeks, the running back room will already look very different from the one Kansas City had last season.
That’s the point of this group now: it’s been reshaped on purpose. After years of searching for more burst and more big-play juice on the ground, the Chiefs made their clearest statement of the offseason by landing Kenneth Walker on a three-year deal worth $43.05 million. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Seattle Seahawks, Walker arrived as the kind of back Kansas City has been missing - a runner who can keep his speed and quickness through sharp changes of direction.
The numbers from 2025 tell the story. Even in a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet, Walker still got to 1,000 yards, finishing with 221 carries for 1,027 yards and 4.6 yards per carry. Kansas City hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2017, when Kareem Hunt won the league’s rushing title as a rookie.
The advanced stats make the fit even clearer. Per Pro Football Focus, Walker forced 61 missed tackles, produced 664 yards after contact and ripped off 33 runs of 10-plus yards.
Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined for 40 missed tackles, 759 yards after contact and only 20 runs of 10-plus yards. Walker then finished the year with 161 scrimmage yards against the New England Patriots and walked away with Super Bowl MVP honors.
That kind of profile points to a real shift in how Kansas City may want to operate. With Walker in the mix, the Chiefs are expected to lean on the run more often in 2026, especially from under center.
Brett Veach didn’t stop there. The next day, the Chiefs added Emari Demercado on a one-year deal, giving the room another back with a very different skill set.
Demercado entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 and spent his time behind James Conner on the depth chart. He never got treated like a lead back in Arizona, but he made the most of the chances he did get.
His career totals - 126 carries for 819 yards and a 6.5 yards per carry average - jump off the page. He’s also caught 50 passes for 324 yards, and PFF credited him with allowing just eight pressures on 99 blocking opportunities as a pass protector.
That blocking ability matters. Early in the season, Demercado is likely to be the back who sees the field more often than rookie Emmett Johnson, because the Chiefs have already acknowledged Johnson still has room to grow in pass protection.
Johnson is a fascinating addition in his own right. Kansas City got him in the fifth round after he left Nebraska as a first-team All-America and the reigning Big Ten running back of the year. He was a workhorse there, leading FBS with 151.8 scrimmage yards per game and finishing with 1,451 rushing yards, which ranked fourth in college football.
He also showed plenty as a receiver, with 92 catches for 702 yards and five touchdowns at Nebraska. Andy Reid is careful about drawing direct comparisons with young players, but in May he said Johnson has some “LeSean McCoy” to him.
The long view is pretty clear. Walker is set up to be the lead back in 2026, while new running backs coach DeMarco Murray will try to develop Johnson into someone who can push for the job by 2028. Per Spotrac, the Chiefs could save north of $14 million in 2028 if they decide Johnson is ready to take over then.
That leaves Brashard Smith trying to carve out a role in a crowded room. Entering his second season after Kansas City took him in the seventh round of last year’s draft, Smith was used all over the formation in 2025 - in the backfield, in the slot and out wide. With Walker and Demercado now added, he looks more like a package player and receiver in 2026.
There still should be touches for him, just in a very specific way. With Walker, Demercado, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce all needing the ball, Smith’s chances are likely to come through orbit motions, screens and quick angle routes.
What helps him stick is his special teams value. In 2025, Smith returned 18 kickoffs for 481 yards, a 26.7-yard average, and added six punt returns for 68 yards.
The Chiefs also have two undrafted rookies on the 2026 training camp roster in Jadyn Ott and EJ Smith. Ott rushed for 1,315 yards in 2023 before transferring to Oklahoma in 2025, but injuries kept him from reaching that level again. EJ Smith, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, the league’s all-time leading rusher, never topped 250 yards in six college seasons between Stanford and Texas A&M.
Either one could hang around on the practice squad.
In Other News...
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Raiders Might Be Building The Kind Of Offense Chiefs Hate Facing
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Connor Heyward gives the Raiders a movable fullback-tight end type who can handle lead-blocking and short-yardage work, while Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas could all be part of a heavier multiple-tight-end approach. For Kansas City, the bigger concern is familiar: an offense designed to make life harder in the trenches, force tougher run fits and keep defenses guessing with extra bodies at the line. [Read more 🡒]
Former Chiefs Linebacker Faces A Disturbing New Legal Crisis
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The situation has drawn even more attention because of reported allegations tied to artificial intelligence, with claims that Lee sought advice from ChatGPT about how to handle an unresponsive person. The victims family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit that reaches beyond Lee himself, and with the death penalty still an open question, the case is likely to remain closely watched for some time. [Read more 🡒]