Kenneth Walker III is set to play for the Kansas City Chiefs, but for a while, GM Brett Veach thought things could go south after watching his Super Bowl performance. The franchise swooped up the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl MVP in free agency by signing him on a three-year deal. While the plan was always to bring Walker to the Chiefs, and a strategy for the same had also been laid, but his performance in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots put some fear in Veach’s mind, as he felt that many other teams would be trying to sign the running back.

“I did [expect him to be a free agent] in November and December. Then, he went out in that playoff heater, and I got a little worried,” said Veach on the Pat McAfee show. “I think I actually texted Patrick Mahomes during the Super Bowl after he busted that long run, and it got called back. I said ‘he’s gonna run right to another team’ because there weren’t a lot of running backs available. But I think Kenneth saw the fit here and saw the vision here, and once that window opened, I think it was clear how much we coveted him. We are super excited to have him here and help get that run game going.”

Walker put together a solid 2025 regular season, rushing for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. It was his postseason play that took him to an entirely different level. In three playoff games, Walker rushed for a whopping 313 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 11 receptions for 104 yards out of the backfield in that span.

His 135 rushing yards in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots were the most in the big game since Terrell Davis’s 157 rush yards in Super Bowl 32. He also became the first running back to win the Pete Rozelle Trophy since Davis.

While Walker’s dazzling recent form and his prime age of 25 should definitely excite Veach. The bigger reason for him to be excited about is how naturally Walker fits into the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense and backfield.

Chiefs’ Backfield Needs Made Walker a Priority

The Chiefs’ rushing attack struggled in 2025 and was a key factor in their broader offensive inconsistencies. The unit ranked 25th in the league, averaging just 106.6 rushing yards per game. Kareem Hunt led them in rushing, with a pedestrian 611 yards for the season.

Kenneth Walker immediately solves the Chiefs’ backfield problems as he has a lot of qualities that help him fit right into the team. According to James Reber of NFL Next Gen Stats, the Chiefs produced a 43.6% rushing success rate. Adding Walker, who had 1027 rushing yards, will definitely help them improve. The Chiefs also struggled to generate explosive runs. They ranked near the bottom of the league in 10-plus-yard carries over the past two seasons. This is where Walker’s strengths are a perfect fit. His explosive runs accounted for nearly 15% of his career carries.

Walker’s arrival will also help Patrick Mahomes significantly, especially since he is returning from a serious injury. His willingness to run will help elevate the offense and open an outlet, who is capable of clocking high speeds consistently, which is great for someone who is an elite QB like Mahomes. Walker hit 15-plus miles per hour 67 times during the 2025 regular season. To explain how big a difference this is, the Chiefs’ running backs combined for just 26 of those bursts last season.

Going by the context above, Brett Veach’s fear of losing Kenneth Walker III made sense. But he can kick back and focus on other areas now, knowing Walker will be ready to take the field for the Kansas City Chiefs come Week 1.