Kenneth Walker III has been one of the biggest pieces of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense through the first two weeks, but the veteran running back is ready to make room for rookie Emmett Johnson.

Walker has carried a heavy workload while helping Kansas City beat the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. He currently leads the NFL with 290 rushing yards and 396 scrimmage yards, along with the most touches in the league.

“We talked about the other day, like, how we're going to feed off each other,” Kenneth Walker III said on September 25. “We always love to see each other shine, you know, him, Brashard, everybody in the running back room.”

The rookie has 104 all-purpose yards on 14 touches so far, and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said the Chiefs want to give him more opportunities.

“Whenever I come out, he goes in, you know, I always want him to do good,” Walker said on September 25, according to Sleeper Chiefs' X post. “He’s going to continue to do good, like I said earlier, and he’s just going to get better. You know, the sky’s the limit for him.”

Kansas City signed Walker this offseason to bring more balance to the offense while Patrick Mahomes recovered from the ACL injury that ended his 2025 season.

With the Chiefs chasing another Super Bowl, Walker and Johnson could have plenty of opportunities to work together.

Walker may be leading the way right now, but Johnson is giving the Chiefs reasons to get him more involved.

Could this rookie be the next big piece of Kansas City’s offense?

Emmett Johnson has not had many chances to carry the ball yet, but the Kansas City Chiefs are already seeing plenty to like from their rookie running back.

The fifth-round pick out of Nebraska has been working behind Kenneth Walker, who has handled most of the backfield work early this season. Still, running backs coach DeMarco Murray says Johnson has done enough to earn more chances.

“He’ll continue to get more opportunities,” Murray said as reported by Charles Goldman via X. “Everything we’ve asked him to do, from special teams to blocking to running, he’s done a tremendous job.”

Johnson has 10 touches for 39 yards through two games. His work without the ball has also stood out, giving the Chiefs another reason to trust him as his role grows.

At the same time, Murray understands why Walker has been difficult to take off the field.

“I think it’s more of a feel for me,” Murray said, according to The Sporting News. “Obviously I want Kenneth to get in the groove, and as you guys have seen these first two games, it’s hard to kind of take him out. But Emmett’s…”

Walker has rushed for 290 yards through two games and played 68% of Kansas City’s snaps in Week 1 before jumping to 83% in Week 2.

He also missed 10 games during his first three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

With that history and his current workload, Johnson could see more opportunities as the season goes on.

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit