The Chiefs could be staring at a very simple backfield plan in Week 10.
If Kenneth Walker III can’t go against the Falcons, Kansas City’s running game would likely run straight through Emmett Johnson. With Jaydn Ott and Brashard Smith both injured, Johnson is the only healthy back left in the room, and that leaves the Chiefs with little choice but to lean on the rookie.
Walker’s status is shaky after tweaking his groin and sitting out Friday’s practice. Andy Reid didn’t exactly sound locked in when he addressed the situation.
"We’ll see how he feels through this afternoon and rehab," Andy Reid said of Walker. "He’s somewhere tweak... He was tight this morning."
That puts Week 10 in real doubt for Walker, even though Patrick Mahomes is set to play after his Week 9 injury scare.
If Walker is unavailable, Johnson would step into the lead role, and Kansas City has already seen enough to feel decent about that option. The Nebraska rookie has 111 rushing yards on 26 carries with a touchdown, but his biggest impact has come as a pass catcher. He has turned 16 targets into 14 receptions for 237 yards and another score, including a 73-yard catch against the Broncos a few weeks ago.
The Chiefs would obviously prefer to have Walker on the field. But if he’s out, Johnson looks like the one back who will carry the load, with no real indication that anyone else in the group is in line for a meaningful role against Atlanta.
In Other News...
Chiefs Suddenly Face A Backfield Question Before Falcons Matchup
A late-week injury note has added a little uncertainty to Kansas Citys backfield ahead of its matchup with Atlanta. Kenneth Walker was held out of practice Friday because of a tight groin and is now listed as questionable, giving the Chiefs one more thing to monitor as they prepare for a game that comes with plenty of attention for a team sitting at 6-2.
Andy Reid offered updates on Walkers condition as the Chiefs worked through their final prep, and the timing matters with the roster already seeing movement elsewhere. Kansas City recently added wide receiver Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts, so the offense is adjusting on multiple fronts while trying to keep its momentum intact against the Falcons. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Suddenly Have A Familiar Late-Season Receiver Question
Marquise Brown is suddenly back on the market, with the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly waiving the veteran receiver after just four appearances this season. Brown signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia in March after spending the previous two seasons with the Chiefs, so his availability immediately brings a familiar name back into the conversation for Kansas City at a time when receiver depth always draws extra attention.
If Brown is claimed off waivers, he will finish the season elsewhere, which leaves the Chiefs to watch a situation that feels a little too familiar for this time of year. Even without any certainty about where he lands, his exit from Philadelphia reopens a late-season question Kansas City knows well: whether a former contributor might become part of the picture again when the stretch run gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Get A Familiar Sunday Broadcast For Rare Falcons Trip
The Chiefs rare trip to Atlanta comes with a familiar Sunday afternoon feel, at least for viewers back home. Kansas City will face the Falcons at noon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the game will air locally on KCTV (Ch. 5) with CBS Sports top broadcast team on the call.
For a team that has spent much of the season in the national spotlight, the broadcast assignment is another reminder of how closely every Chiefs game is being watched. The Week 10 slate also comes with a full set of NFL broadcast pairings, but this one stands out because of the matchup itself, with Kansas City heading to a building it does not visit often and trying to handle business on the road in a spot that has not been kind to the franchise in years. [Read more 🡒]