The Kansas City Chiefs, not known for getting out of the box in free agency, hit the ground running literally. Kenneth Walker III has agreed to a deal that will ensure he’ll be taking handoffs from Quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Early Monday morning, reports indicated that Super Bowl LX MVP running back Kenneth Walker III has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a move the Chiefs had to make, and now they have a legitimate homerun threat in one of the best running backs in the NFL.
With only Brashard Smith on the roster, the new running backs coach, DeMarco Murray, and the offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, will be able to add some firepower to the offense. This could mean that when Patrick Mahomes returns, the Chiefs might line up their star quarterback more under center. That would be a significant change for KC’s offense.
Walker was outstanding in the postseason and the best player on the field in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win. Seattle decided not to extend Walker and declined to place the franchise tag on their star running back. The deal is reportedly a 3-year, $45 million deal with $27.8 Million guaranteed.
With this decision, it’s highly unlikely the team will draft Jeremyiah Love with the 9th pick of the upcoming NFL draft. However, if he’s on the board, that could be a valuable trade piece for Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach. In fact, that might be a great opportunity for Kansas City to expand its draft lottery prospects.
Kansas City struggled mightily in the run game as Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt struggled to gain footing in the offense. Smith never got a chance to show his talents, and he suddenly became an important commodity for the Chiefs’ backfield. If there’s a slight knock, he’s not as strong catching the ball as running it.
Either way, the move was a key decision by the Chiefs.
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