Kenneth Walker has already given the Raiders plenty to think about, and he’s doing it in more ways than one.
Before Sunday’s game at Allegiant Stadium, the Chiefs running back is set for a pregame reunion with Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, who coached him in Seattle when Walker was the Super Bowl LX MVP in the Seahawks’ win over the Patriots. Kubiak, now on the other sideline, had nothing but praise for him in a video on the Raiders’ website.
“He’s an elite talent. You know, obviously I know K9, loved coaching him.
He’s one of the best backs in the NFL for a reason,” Kubiak said. “He’s making plays.
He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can do it all.”
Walker, who leads the NFL with 360 rushing yards, has also picked up a little internet fame for something that usually ends a runner’s day in a hurry: stopping the “Peanut Punch.”
Former Bears defensive back Charles Tillman is credited with creating the move, a swipe at the ball that defenders in the NFL and college have copied for years. Walker, though, showed in a Chiefs social media video how to shut it down. The clip blew up fast, topping 5 million views as fans and analysts marveled at the way he tucked the ball and used his left arm to neutralize the punch.
“This is why I say not fumbling is a SKILL. It’s not luck,” one person wrote on X. “Walker has had 4 fumbles in 7+ seasons since high school.
Another wrote: “The tuck of the ball and left arm coming underneath literally looks like breathing to him it’s so natural.”
“RB not fumbling a Peanut Punch is a highlight for me,” X user Coach Dan Casey wrote.
“It’s impressive,” another noted. “That was a textbook peanut punch. The defender got his fist right on it.”
NFL writer Warren Sharp wrote: “blocked a perfectly thrown peanut punch like it was nothing 😱”
“That ball was 100% coming loose if he didn’t put his arm up,” another wrote.
“This is art,” a fan said.
“Do more black and white with the Chiefs color pop,” a fan asked. “That’s as insane as that block. Ball didn’t even budge.”
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