Grading Addition of Demercado in Chiefs’ Backfield

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kenneth Walker ran for 135 yards to earn Super Bowl MVP honors last month. But another number meant more to him.

Walker wrote 26 on the tape covering his left wrist. It was the uniform number of Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet, whose postseason ended with a torn ACL against the 49ers in the divisional playoffs.

Walker’s friendship with Charbonnet was important, but no doubt Walker also knew how much Charbonnet helped him in 2025. To Walker’s credit, he put the Seahawks on his back after Charbonnet’s injury.

But before the injury, Charbonnet and Walker fed off one another, and that’s why the Chiefs landing Emari Demercado on Thursday night was critical.

Blessed to say the least…Chiefs kingdom lets work!!!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️💛 https://t.co/tpUwU2tmca
— Emari Demercado (@Money_E3) March 13, 2026

Demercado will complement Walker, just as he did for James Conner in Arizona. In fact, Demercado’s addition actually adds to the value of Walker’s addition.

The grade: B-minus

For what the Chiefs need him to do, Demercado’s signing is a solid B. Expect Walker on the field for mostly first and second downs, and Demercado mostly in passing situations.

He’s better than Walker at picking up the blitz, and he’s a better receiver than Walker.

Demercado is absolutely explosive, judging by his five career carries of at least 40 yards. He also has four career receptions of 20-plus yards. That was a painfully missing element in the Chiefs’ backfield. Now, even on passing downs, maybe when the Chiefs need points in opponent territory, Demercado provides Andy Reid a solid running option.

His consistent efficiency is critical for Kansas City. He’s averaged 6.5 yards per carry and 6.5 yards per reception over his three-year NFL career. Compare that to Isiah Pacheco, who over the past three seasons averaged 4.2 yards per carry and 5.7 yards per catch.

The negatives

What makes Demercado a B-minus is what the Cardinals didn’t do last year. Drew Petzing is now calling plays for Dan Campbell, but when injury sidelined James Conner in 2025, Petzing chose not to feature Demercado. And because Walker has an injury history, that’s important for the Chiefs.

The Cardinals’ offensive coordinator looked over his roster and decided to game plan primarily with Zonovan Knight and Michael Carter. Demercado even lost his grip on the third-down role. And, after the season, general manager Monti Ossenfort and new head coach Mike LaFleur chose not to tender Demercado at the minimum amount to bring him back as a restricted free agent.

What’s interesting is the Chiefs’ next move at running back. Keep in mind they still have promising second-year back Brashard Smith. But expect Kansas City to invest one of its 2026 draft choices in a running back.

More importantly, signing Demercado and Walker seems to provide Kareem Hunt a lot of leverage. The Chiefs’ offensive strength in 2025 was their outstanding ability to convert in short-yardage. They can’t lose that, and neither Demercado nor Walker are as good as Hunt. Re-signing Hunt and finding a way to weave him into their offense should be a priority.