Heat and high expectations can boil over fast in August. During Kansas City’s Saturday practice, new running back Kenneth Walker III found himself in the middle of another physical clash. This time, safety Alohi Gilman was on the receiving end as teammates rushed in to break up two separate flare-ups between the pair.

“Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III got into a scuffle with safety Alohi Gilman after a rush and proceeded to throw the football at him and tackle him to the ground. This is the second dust-up for Walker III after he threw a football at Drue Tranquill last week.” Forever Football posted on X.

Here’s what actually went down. This wasn’t a full-contact drill either; it was a non-tackling 11-on-11 rep, but Walker and Gilman still collided hard, shoulder pads and all. Gilman shoved Walker out of bounds after the play, and as both guys jogged back toward their huddles, some words got exchanged.

That’s when Walker turned around and tackled Gilman from behind. No punches landed, and honestly, the whole thing was over almost as quickly as it started.

Non-contact drills are specifically structured to prevent injury, keeping players in helmets and shorts while focusing purely on timing. When an unexpected physical hit happens in a non-padded setting, players feel caught off guard. That sudden break in protocol instantly turns a routine practice rep into a heated personal confrontation.

The intense summer heat clearly played a role. Walker had just taken heavy reps during a grueling sixteen-play drive right before the scuffle broke out. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub chalked the temper flare-up up to the weather, telling reporters that grueling drives in Missouri heat naturally cause tempers to spill over.

“How about that 16-play long drive?” Toub said after practice. “That’s how you know it’s hot. That happens. It’s football sometimes.”

The Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t seem too bothered by it when he was asked about the intensity in camp.

“Six straight days going against the same guys,” he said. “It’s being competitive. That’s what’s great about this camp. It’s super competitive, on both sides. Little scuffles here and there, but nothing crazy. As long as we keep it like that and keep competing, that’s how you get the best football team you can get.”

Walker and Gilman are both new to the roster, both trying to lock down significant roles.

For Walker, the stakes are even higher. The Chiefs rewarded him with a three-year, $43.3 million deal this offseason after he finished last season on fire, including a Super Bowl MVP performance of 135 yards on 27 carries. He posted 1,027 yards and 5 TDs, his first 1,000-yard season since 2022, so it’s easy to see why the Chiefs view him as their guy at running back.

Walker looked like the guy that Kansas City needs as a back to carry the load while Mahomes works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in late 2025.

But before any of that potential translates to the regular season, he has to get through camp first, and so far that’s been a challenge in itself. This marks the second time in a matter of days that Walker has lost his cool with a teammate.

Kenneth Walker-Drue Tranquill get into altercation at training camp

Rewind to earlier this month, and you’ll find the first spark. Kansas City’s defense was running a seven-on-seven drill when Mahomes hit Walker with a pass, and Walker tried to break off a big run. He collided with Drue Tranquill along the way, hit the ground, popped back up, and immediately fired the ball at Tranquill.

Teammates rushed in to settle things down before it went any further, though Tranquill barely blinked.

Afterward, Tranquill made it clear there were no hard feelings.

“Small moment,” he told reporters via KCTV5. “I mean, we’re just competing at the end of the down, trying to get the ball out punched, and then Kenneth’s fired up, throws the ball, and it’s all love. We’re smiling at each other after the play. But, you know, we’re just making each other better rep by rep and trying to make an emphasis this year to get the ball out. We need to get it out more on defense.”

Part of Walker’s frustration may have come from the setting itself. That practice was non-contact, so a collision probably wasn’t something he was braced for.

Tranquill is entering his fourth season in Kansas City, while Walker is brand new to the roster after winning it all with Seattle last year.

Two incidents in ten days are enough to raise eyebrows, especially with the Crosby-Cousins fallout in Vegas still fresh. So far, though, the Chiefs haven’t taken any action, and how Andy Reid handles it remains to be seen.