Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes Share Early Thoughts on Kenneth Walker III

The Kansas City Chiefs are back on the football field as spring blends into summer, giving them a quick look at their veterans and rookies alike. Newcomers are also getting used to new surroundings, and none carry a more star-like profile than running back Kenneth Walker III.

Lured away from the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, Walker was awarded a lucrative multi-year contract to shore up the Kansas City rushing attack. Doing so is a task that goes beyond just him, but adding such a premier talent is a massive step in the right direction.

Following the first slew of organized team activity (OTA) practices, how does Walker look? Head coach Andy Reid had nothing but positive things to say.

“He’s doing a good job," Reid said. "He’s got a ton of energy, and you can tell he loves to play the game [and] wants to learn what we’re doing here. He’s coming from a great program, he gets that it takes work to be good, and he’s willing to do that. Stronger than an ox. I mean, he’s put together now.”

Walker, still just 25 years old, is coming off his best year yet. Starting all 17 regular-season games for Seattle, he racked up 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns while also adding 282 receiving yards. The Super Bowl LX MVP is one of the more explosive rushers in football, giving the Chiefs something they've severely lacked in recent campaigns.

Many believe that despite winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Chiefs placed too much pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes to perform. The two-time NFL MVP is also coming off a torn ACL and LCL, so having a worthwhile run game could help ease him back in.

Walker might help the passing game, too, which Mahomes knows. How does the superstar signal-caller feel about his new teammate? It's early, but Mahomes seems to be a fan.

“First off, he’s a great dude," Mahomes said. "That’s the first thing I noticed. You can tell he truly cares about football, he cares about his teammates. If he’s not in the play, he’s helping the guys on the sideline and he’s trying to learn and asking me questions and doing those things. He’s a great football player. Even from what y’all saw today, it’s special."

According to SumerSports, a whopping 20.81% of Walker's 2025-26 rushes went for a first down. Additionally, his 9.95% explosive run rate was his best since his debut in 2022 (11.84%). For reference, Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt and then-rookie Brashard Smith just posted explosive run clips of 3.39%, 3.09% and 2.27%, respectively.

There will surely be some negative plays, but Walker is going to help the Chiefs in a big way. Reid and Mahomes are making that clear with training camp less than two months on the horizon.

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