Albert Breer’s Notes: Kenneth Walker III’s Signing Could Be a Bargain

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Week 1 of the NFL’s regular season is in the books, and we’re onto Week 2, so it’s time for our first set of in-season Tuesday notes. Let’s dive in.

Kansas City Chiefs

It’s fair to say that Kenneth Walker III looks like he’s worth every penny, maybe even more so when you actually dive into the financials.

Walker exploded onto the Arrowhead stage in his first game as a Chief on Monday night, going for 173 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, and another 18 yards and a score on three catches. His 60-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter busted the game open, and his presence in the 31–10 win helped ease Patrick Mahomes, who was returning from a torn ACL and LCL in Week 15 of last season.

The fifth-year pro and Super Bowl LX MVP signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal in March to leave the champion Seahawks, which averages out to $14.35 million per year. And this is where I’ll show you how his position has been devalued to a point where signings like these have become great value for teams smart enough to see it.

Walker’s APY is around the same money as edge rushers Harold Landry III and Bradley Chubb; receivers Cooper Kupp and Mike Evans; and offensive tackles Abe Lucas, Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore (his new teammate). Bears DT Grady Jarrett, nearing the end of his career, has a higher APY ($14.5 million), as does new Titans CB Cor’Dale Flott ($15 million). Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza is making more on a contract ($57 million) that’s slotted as part of the rookie salary scale.

Now, one argument against spending on running backs is that they are more replaceable, and there’s truth to that—the Chiefs had a fifth-round rookie, Emmett Johnson, spelling Walker late in the game, and Walker himself was picked in the second round after a decorated college career at Wake Forest and Michigan State.

Another argument would be that these guys have a shorter shelf life, which is also true. But the reality is that Walker’s deal has two years of guarantees, meaning Kansas City is not taking on a lot of risk if Walker slows down. And the upside, well, you saw that.

Anyway, all this takes me back to a conversation I was having on the sideline at training camp with a really smart exec I’ve known for years. He pointed to the team’s running back and mentioned how much he was making, then to the top receiver, who was negotiating a big contract. He said the receiver wanted a multiple of what the back was making, and then said, “If [the receiver] plays really well, he’ll see the ball one-fifth as much as [the back].”

Then came the 2024 offseason, when the Packers, Eagles and Ravens signed Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. It got my attention at the time because, well, those aren’t stupid teams. And all three of those contracts have been good values.

I feel comfortable saying Walker’s deal is, too, even if he’s only a game in.

Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold’s injury is unique—to the glute tendon and the hip joint—and for that reason the Seahawks are uncertain of when he’ll return.

And this is where you can give Seattle GM John Schneider some credit for his approach in building the quarterback room over the past decade or so. He acquired Geno Smith in 2019 and kept bringing him back until Smith replaced Russell Wilson in 2022. That year, Smith beat out Drew Lock for the job, but the team didn’t just throw Lock out the door, bringing him back in 2023, then again on a two-year deal in 2025.

So Lock is in his fourth year in Seattle, having spent 2024 as a Giant, and his second year in the offensive system that Klint Kubiak brought to the Pacific Northwest last year. That gives him a ton of background with his teammates and in the system. And the Seahawks have Jalen Milroe, now in his second year, behind him.

The reality is that most teams are screwed if the starter goes down for the season. What you want is to be able to manage a month-or-so absence if your starter sustains a shorter-term injury (one estimate I heard pegged Darnold’s at three-to-six weeks, but, again, I can say that the team itself doesn’t have any firm timetable) to give yourself the best chance when the starter comes back, which, I think, the Seahawks have done.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Landon Dickerson situation bears watching in Philadelphia. To his credit, Dickerson fought through a lot to become the 37th pick in the 2021 draft—he tore both of his ACLs (one at Florida State, the other at Alabama), and finished four of his five seasons in college with season-ending injuries. More recently, he had meniscus surgery last summer.

Dickerson himself said he was a “complete liability” trying to play through it in the opener, and has shared that he wasn’t himself last year after the meniscus injuries.

All of these things pile up, and everyone’s body has an odometer. And without Dickerson for the time being, the line, which has always been the team’s foundation, will have its depth tested. The good news is that Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall had good summers and will have a shot to show they’re the next revelations in the Eagles’ big-man assembly line.

Houston Texans

I wouldn’t panic too much about the Texans’ opener. The defense will be fine. C.J. Stroud, for the most part, played well. But one thing shook me a little bit after talking to Bills DE Gregory Rousseau postgame.

Rousseau had a game-ending strip-sack on a third-and-goal from the Buffalo 18, and he told me the play, which followed another sack that knocked the Texans back from the 9, came on a standard, three-man rush. In other words, there wasn’t much to it, only the Bills’ three rushers beating the Texans’ front five.

Rousseau beat Trent Brown, the 33-year-old right tackle whom the Texans tried to replace with ex-Colt Braden Smith, who is out for at least a month. Next to Brown was journeyman Ed Ingram, playing a right guard spot that Wyatt Teller, who got beaten out for the job, was brought in to play. All of that makes me concerned that the position group that the Texans have needed to fix most the past couple of years is still in a wonky spot.

New York Jets

Take a bow, Frank Reich. In his first game as Jets OC—and yes, it was against the Titans—Geno Smith completed 19-of-24 throws for 215 yards, hit eight different pass catchers while highlighting Garrett Wilson (six catches, 79 yards), and the Jets rushed for 152 yards on 39 carries. It was efficient. It was balanced. Nine of the Jets’ 11 possessions ended on the Titans’ end of the field. It looks like Aaron Glenn got that hire right.

Los Angeles Rams

One thing to note coming out of last week’s Australia game: The Rams handed the ball to Blake Corum (10 times) almost as often as they handed it to Kyren Williams (11). Corum had a really good camp and looked explosive and decisive as a runner against the 49ers. I would be surprised if he doesn’t continue to be a big part of their plan.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders won their opener, so the idea of going to Mendoza is moot for now. But as we’ve said, their eventual willingness to go there will be tied in part to their ability to support him. And part of that will connect to development at receiver. Sunday, even in a win, showed that’ll take time. Four receivers—Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Malik Benson—had catches against Miami. Their combined output? Nine receptions for 83 yards.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals’ split in run-game workload is probably a good window into how they’ll manage Jeremiyah Love’s rookie year. The No. 3 pick had 11 carries and two catches against the Chargers, while veteran Tyler Allgeier had 17 carries and two catches. Smartly, Arizona’s plan is to be judicious about running up mileage on their special young talent. And in time, they could have James Conner back, too, to help lighten the load.

FOX’s Mike Pereira gave his explanation on the Jared Goff / Chase Young play that was ruled an incompletion pic.twitter.com/ziGVhXBYwJ
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 13, 2026

NFL officiating

The Saints-Lions ruling is still confusing for me. So if Jared Goff’s throwing motion has started, and is altered by a hit, and the ball goes backward, that’s a forward pass and not a lateral? That rule doesn’t make sense. And it feels like New Orleans got screwed.

Thursday Night Football

The Thursday nighter this week’s a good one, with the Bills opening their new stadium against the Lions. I just hope, on a short week, this early in the year, we get both teams at full throttle, because they’re obviously capable of putting on a show.

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