Kenneth Walker III Should Break Key Chiefs Dry Spell

• "Kareem Hunt was the last 1,000-yard rusher for the Kansas City Chiefs, and that's the next one right there," Eisen said while pointing at a picture of Walker III. "That's a thousand-yard rusher behind the Chiefs [offensive line]. They are going to give him the rock. And let's see what happens, man. Let's see what happens when somebody who can run [the ball] like Kenneth Walker, when he's healthy, what he looks like in this offense."

Eisen's assessments are absolutely correct, and here are a couple of reasons why the 2022 second-round pick can prove these claims right.

Kansas City's Offensive Line

The Chiefs' offensive line received a bad rep last season, as it was repeatedly labeled as a bad unit. However, the injuries across the front line contributed to the struggles up front in 2025. When fully healthy, this offensive line is a top-10 unit in the league.

Additionally, the interior of this offensive line, led by Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, opened up rushing lanes, but Pacheco would misread the open gap, while Hunt lacked speed and explosiveness to take advantage of the space created.

Walker III is a patient and explosive runner who will burst through those gaps and unlock Kansas City's dormant rushing attack.

Investment Indicates Plentiful Workload

Kansas City made Walker III the fourth-highest-paid running back in the league for a reason, and he should be utilized regularly.

Walker III has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but played a full allotment of games last season, as the Seahawks deployed a 50/50 timeshare backfield with Zach Charbonnet in the fold. When Charbonnet suffered a season-ending injury in the divisional round of the playoffs, Walker III was forced into a three-down workload.

In three playoff games, the 25-year-old running back compiled 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 65 carries. Walker III also totaled nine receptions for 104 yards. Due to his injury history, the Chiefs will likely employ a similar strategy by splitting the workload, but expect it to be 65/35 in the former Michigan State running back's direction.