Kenneth Walker III Gives Chiefs’ Offensive Line Credit After Big Debut

Kansas City Chiefs fans couldn't have asked for a better debut from running back Kenneth Walker III on Monday night. The Super Bowl LX MVP single-handedly carried an otherwise stagnant Chiefs offense in the first half and finished with the most rushing yards by a K.C. tailback since Jamaal Charles in 2012.

Although it's only been one game, there is a stark contrast between the Chiefs' running game a year ago and this season. Walker turned in one of the best performances in the entire NFL in Week 1 and did so against one of the NFL's best defensive lines.

When he spoke to the media after the win, Walker gave all of the credit to his offensive line. He said they allowed him to excel in his first game in the red and gold.

"It means a lot, but first off, you have to give credit to the offensive line," Walker said. "They did a great job tonight of making mine and Emmett [Johnson's] job much easier to go out there and run the ball, our tight ends and our receivers as well. It means a lot. We have to keep stacking everything that we've started."

Sep 14, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) rushes teh ball against the Denver Broncos in the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were a lot of questions entering the contest about how Kansas City would fare in the trenches, especially at the left tackle position. Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson received his first NFL start as Patrick Mahomes' blind-side protector, a position he never played at the collegiate level. Surprisingly, he turned out to be solid filling in for the injured Josh Simmons, allowing no QB pressures on pass-blocking snaps all night.

The highlight of Walker's night came early in the third quarter when Andy Reid decided to roll the dice and go for it on fourth-and-1. Not only did Kansas City convert the opportunity, but Walker broke to the outside and displayed the speed that made him such a highly coveted free-agent target. He won the footrace to the end zone and put the Chiefs up 21-7 with a 60-yard touchdown run.

"We ran the play a few times," Walker said about the play. "I knew they were going to crash in, so when they crashed in, I just bounced it out. I was one-on-one with the corner, I outran him, and it was off to the races from there."

That run accounted for more than one-third of Walker's yards on the ground Monday night, but that wasn't his only standout play. He tallied 191 yards from scrimmage and caught one of Patrick Mahomes' two touchdown passes in his return from a torn ACL.

It appears that the Chiefs are trending toward a more run-heavy offense, which might be the first time we can say that about this franchise in the Mahomes era. However, Walker believes that even the threat of Mahomes in the passing game directly affects the team's rushing attack.

"Yeah, definitely. They have to key in on Pat," Walker proclaimed. "He's the best quarterback in the league, so you can't just get on the run game or he'll throw the ball over your head, and he can run. He's just a threat either way, so he makes the run game a lot easier."

The Chiefs can't realistically expect to lean on Walker for 30 touches a night during the back end of the season, but he put on quite the show for the Chiefs faithful in his debut. If that showing was a sign of things to come, Walker could be in for one of the best running back seasons in Chiefs history at this pace.

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