{"id":840949,"date":"2026-03-29T14:03:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T14:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/840949\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T14:03:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T14:03:18","slug":"chiefs-hc-andy-reid-breaks-silence-on-kenneth-walker-iii-signing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/840949\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs HC Andy Reid Breaks Silence on Kenneth Walker III Signing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Chiefs\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.<\/p>\n

The Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> have signed a lot of new free agents<\/a> during the offseason, but none bigger than running back Kenneth Walker III.<\/p>\n

Walker spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>, rushing for over 1,000 yards twice during that span. He\u2019s coming off an excellent three-game postseason stretch when he rushed for 313 yards and four touchdowns, culminating in being named Super Bowl LX MVP.<\/p>\n

Walker is taking over for former starting Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who is now with the Detroit Lions<\/a>. In 2025 Walker rushed for only 46 less yards than Pacheco and backup Kareem Hunt combined. Kansas City will be relying on Walker\u2019s big-play speed to add an explosive dimension to its rushing attack.<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid Speaks on Kenneth Walker III Signing for First Time\"Kenneth<\/p>\n

GettyRB Kenneth Walker III<\/p>\n

While speaking to NFL insider Judy Battista<\/a>, Reid shared his excitement on Walker being added to his offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a good football player, and it won\u2019t change. He\u2019s not gonna change coming to us,\u201d Reid said of Walker. \u201cHe\u2019s still going to be a good football player. As long as he stays healthy and moves forward, good things can happen for you. We know that the run game\u2019s important and we\u2019ve got good offensive linemen in front of him, so that will be a plus for him. It should be a plus for our football team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reid obviously isn\u2019t going to tip his hand on how he will utilize Walker, but he likely played a significant role in bringing him to Kansas City. Reid went on to say that he and he\u2019s spent a lot of time reflecting after a disastrous 2025 season that resulted in the Chiefs finishing with a 6-11 record.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of time to think about it,\u201d he said. \u201cThis has been a long offseason, but it\u2019s great to reflect, great to go back in and turn what in your mind is a negative, having the end of the season the way we did, into a positive by retooling. Making sure that you\u2019re getting healthy \u2014 coaches and players \u2014 so, stay on top of that. And then go take advantage of it as you work into this next season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiefs\u2019 Running Game Will Look Much Different in 2026\"Chiefs<\/p>\n

GettyRB Emari Demercado.<\/p>\n

Reid hasn\u2019t had a running back with as high of a ceiling as Walker has since Hunt\u2019s first tenure in Kansas City from 2017-2018. When quarterback Patrick Mahomes was paired with Hunt in 2018, the Chiefs\u2019 offense was operating at a historic pace.<\/p>\n

Opposing defenses had to pick their poison between keying in on Mahomes or Hunt, a formula which will hopefully be replicated with Mahomes and Walker. Walker isn\u2019t the only new running back in Kansas City, as it signed Emari Demercado to back him up<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Demercado spent the first three season of his career with the Arizona Cardinals<\/a>, averaging an impressive 6.5 yards per carry during that time. Like Walker, Demercado possesses good speed and receiving abilities.<\/p>\n

Not to be forgotten is Brashard Smith, who was a seventh-round draft pick by the Chiefs last year. Smith is also a speedster with pass catching skills, as he played the wide receiver position early in his collegiate career at Miami.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tNick Roesch<\/a> Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Chiefs\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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