Andrew Buller-Russ
After missing the playoffs, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach knew he had to upgrade head coach Andy Reid’s roster this offseason. When free agency began, the Chiefs wasted no time making upgrades. Some even felt the Chiefs made one of the best signings of the year. Not everyone agrees.
Recently, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport actually called the Kenneth Walker III addition one of the NFL’s worst free agency signings of the offseason. His reasoning? Largely because the 25-year-old running back has yet to consistently prove that he can handle a heavy workload.
“Throughout his four-year career, Walker has struggled with nagging injuries,” Davenport wrote. “Last year was the first time he played in all 17 games. While the 2022 second-round pick has posted two 1,000-yard seasons, he has never had 230 carries in a season. He has also never played 600 snaps in a season. Walker is being paid like a bell-cow running back. But to date, he hasn’t shown that he can actually be one.”
The Chiefs signed Walker to a three-year contract worth just over $43 million this offseason. He’s now the fourth-highest-paid tailback in the NFL, just behind future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry, and just ahead of Breece Hall, who is set to play the season on the franchise tag.
While there’s no doubt Walker injects more talent into a Kansas City backfield that watched Isiah Pacheco sign with the Lions in free agency, time will tell whether he lives up to his contract with the Chiefs. Yet, if his addition helps the Chiefs return to being one of the NFL’s best teams that is capable of winning a Super Bowl, then chances are they’ll feel like Walker is worth every penny.
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