The fact that the Kansas City Chiefs rank fifth in total rushing yards entering their Week 10 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons has a lot to do with running back Kenneth Walker III. However, as Sunday’s game against Atlanta approaches, Walker’s status remains uncertain. The running back, who was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this year, has reportedly been dealing with a groin injury.
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Now, just a day before kickoff, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has provided another update on Walker’s availability. According to Schefter, the Chiefs are expected to hold Walker out against the Falcons on Sunday after he injured his groin during Thursday’s practice. Per a source, the Chiefs “want to give him a week.”
The development surrounding Walker’s situation gained momentum after head coach Andy Reid first revealed the running back’s injury. While Walker practiced on Thursday, he reported tightness in his groin to the team on Friday, ahead of the Chiefs’ final practice session before the Falcons game. As a result, he missed Friday’s practice, with the Chiefs listing him as questionable for Sunday’s matchup.
“We’ll just see how he feels through this afternoon, with rehab and through tomorrow,” said Coach Reid, per ESPN. “Somewhere he tweaked it. We’re kind of feeling it out just to see where we’re at with that [groin]. We’re not going to put him at risk. If he can go, he can go. If he can’t, he can’t.”
Since joining the Chiefs ahead of the 2026 season, Kenneth Walker has been a cornerstone in Kansas City’s backfield. Across eight starts this season, the running back has rushed for 872 yards (second behind Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson) and scored 7 touchdowns. Meanwhile, he has also caught 26 receptions for 172 yards, while scoring 4 receiving touchdowns.
While his numbers dipped during the Chiefs’ back-to-back losses to the Seahawks in Week 7 and the Denver Broncos in Week 8, Walker bounced back last week against the New York Jets. He finished the game with 102 rushing yards on 18 attempts and one touchdown. However, his status for the Week 10 matchup remains uncertain, as he is now expected to be rested.
In his absence, the Chiefs are expected to rely on rookie running back Emmett Johnson, who has 111 rushing yards and one touchdown on 26 attempts so far this season.
“He’ll be ready to go,” said Trey Smith of the fifth-rounder. “I like Emmett, man, his juice, his energy. He oozes enthusiasm, emotion and positive energy. You can tell the guy wants to be great, and you can tell he works at it. He really cares, man. I’m really excited for him. It’s not hard to root for guys like that.”
That said, the Chiefs are 6-2 after the first half of the 2026 season. While Kansas City is kicking off the second half with a major injury on the offense, it remains to be seen whether Kenneth Walker will be able to return after the Chiefs decided to give him rest this week. Meanwhile, Johnson is now expected to make his first career start for the Chiefs in Walker’s absence.