Why did Chiefs sign Kenneth Walker III, and what’s next?

The Kansas City Chiefs went 6-11 in 2025, their worst record since 2012. After dealing star cornerback Trent McDuffie, the team opened free agency by making a big addition — signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.

Walker has split carries in Seattle, landing between 153 and 221 in his four seasons with the Seahawks. But he’s been one of the league’s most explosive runners in that span.

ESPN NFL Nation Kansas City Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor, Seattle Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson, NFL analyst Seth Walder and senior fantasy sports writer Eric Karabell discuss the move and what’s next for both teams.

The Chiefs haven’t spent premium picks or money on running backs in recent years. Why did they commit to Walker?

Walker’s contract is set to become one of the largest deals for a running back in league history, including the most guaranteed money in free agency. The Chiefs’ decision to do this tells us just how much they wanted to improve at the position to regain their status as a Super Bowl contender. By agreeing to sign Walker, the Chiefs no longer want quarterback Patrick Mahomes to bear the sole burden of lifting the offense with highlight-worthy moments.

Walker’s postseason success was alluring to the Chiefs. Coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach believe the 25-year-old can produce explosive runs behind right guard Trey Smith, center Creed Humphrey and left guard Kingsley Suamataia. And with Mahomes’ gifted right arm, Walker shouldn’t face many loaded boxes that include eight defenders, giving him space to create missed tackles when he reaches the open field. — Taylor

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The Chiefs traded CB Trent McDuffie to the Rams, then saw Jaylen Watson sign there as well. Is Kansas City prioritizing offense this offseason — and what are the biggest remaining needs?

The Chiefs are swinging back to the early portion of Mahomes’ career, when the offense was the leading unit. Veach has never signed a cornerback the Chiefs drafted to a second contract, so it appears the front office has prioritized supporting Mahomes, who is recovering from surgery to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. The Chiefs could add a veteran receiver to the roster and also re-sign receiver Tyquan Thornton, who built a strong connection with Mahomes on deep passes.

The Chiefs are hoping to sign a defensive lineman in free agency who can be a reliable contributor alongside pass rushers Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. With nine picks in the upcoming draft, including the No. 9 and 29 overall selections, the Chiefs could target adding depth at defensive line, safety and the cornerback positions. Since coordinator Steve Spagnuolo joined the Chiefs in 2019, he and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt have done well at identifying cornerbacks in the draft and developing them at a quick rate. — Taylor

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What is the Seahawks’ running back plan after Walker’s departure?

With Walker gone and Zach Charbonnet likely to miss much of next season as he recovers from his February knee surgery, the Seahawks will need to add multiple running backs. They only have four selections this year and likely don’t want to rely on a pair of rookies, so the sensible plan would be to pair a draft pick with a veteran signing. George Holani, who finished the playoffs strong as Seattle’s RB2 after Charbonnet went down in the divisional round, will also factor into that mix.

Charbonnet and Walker split the work for much of 2025. That was likely a factor in Walker playing in all 20 games after missing a combined 10 over his first three seasons. The Seahawks would have preferred to keep Walker in a time-share going forward in order to keep him healthy, and thus they weren’t going to give him anything close to the kind of money he got from the Chiefs, who are making him one of the league’s highest-paid running backs.– Henderson

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What sort of value are the Chiefs getting on this deal?

I’d give this a C+.

After getting lackluster play at the position last season, Kansas City opted to sign the top free agent running back, who also happens to be the Super Bowl MVP.

In Walker, the Chiefs gain explosive upside on every run that they simply did not have last year. Even though he was sharing the workload with Charbonnet, Walker had the sixth-most runs of 10-plus yards last season (33), which is where he shines. And of course, his play in the postseason raised his value quite a bit.

In the regular season, Walker recorded 39 rush yards over expected and generated 0 first downs over expected, per NFL Next Gen Stats. But in the playoffs, Walker recorded 79 rush yards over expected and eight (!) first downs over expected in what was legitimately an excellent stretch.

He clearly fills a need for Kansas City, and you can easily understand why the Chiefs want him. But I do think there are some drawbacks. — Walder

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What’s the fantasy forecast for Walker in Kansas City?

Walker, who finished 22nd among running backs in PPR scoring this past season, has long been viewed as a potential top-10 fantasy option at the position, but the Seahawks opted to share his touches with Zach Charbonnet, blunting each player’s intriguing statistical upside. The Chiefs need to rebuild (and get healthy) a once-standout offensive line and get star QB Patrick Mahomes (knee) back for September, but the signs are here for Walker to handle the largest workload of his career. This is good news for fantasy, assuming that Walker, who missed games in each of his first three seasons with various ailments, can stay healthy. — Karabell