The 2026 NFL regular season’s Week 4 featured the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Las Vegas Raiders, moving to 4-0, one of three NFL teams with that record.
Let’s see how the national media responds in this week’s sampling of power rankings:
NFL.com: 2
(No change)
The average fan might view Sunday’s four-quarter battle with the Raiders as a red mark on Kansas City’s résumé. Not me. Las Vegas is scrappy and worthy of respect. Lesser teams would have crumbled in the desert. The Chiefs did the opposite, delivering
timely, game-altering plays in the fourth quarter and holding on for a win made possible by the strength of their balanced, dynamic offense.
ESPN: 2
(Up from 3)
Four words to describe the first four weeks: In Walker we trust.
Coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy have no excuses to ever abandon the running game as long as running back Kenneth Walker III is healthy and on the field. Walker has completely transformed the Chiefs’ offense, allowing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to make more deep completions. Walker leads the NFL with 537 rushing yards and the team with six total touchdowns. The Chiefs should continue to rely on Walker following the bye week after injuries to receivers Tyquan Thornton (dislocated left ankle) and Rashee Rice (right hamstring). — Nate Taylor
The Athletic: 2
(Up from 3)
Concern level: None, now that they have Kenneth Walker
After years of struggling to run the ball efficiently, the Chiefs gave Walker, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, a contract worth more than $14 million a season. So far, it’s looking like an incredible deal. Walker joined Billy Sims (from 1980) as the only NFL players in league history with at least 175 yards from scrimmage in three of their first four games with a new team.
— Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Pro Football Talk: 2
(No change)
They need help at receiver, badly.
— Mike Florio
CBSSports.com: 2
(Up from 3)
They are 4-0, but they suffered some hits to the receiver position Sunday which are concerning. They have to reach out to Tyreek Hill. When will he be ready?
— Pete Prisco
Yahoo! Sports: 4
(Up from 3)
If you want the Chiefs to fall off sometime soon, it’s probably not going to happen. Their upcoming schedule is soft and should lead to a start of 8-2 or better:
Week 5: bye
Week 6: vs. Chargers
Week 7: at Seahawks
Week 8: at Broncos
Week 9: vs. Jets
Week 10: at Falcons
Week 11: vs. Cardinals
That’s four games in which Kansas City should be significant favorites, and while the game at the Seahawks will be very tough, it’s not like the Broncos are playing great. That’s a winnable road game. A 4-2 run through those six games seems to be the worst outcome. The Chiefs aren’t going away.
— Frank Schwab
USA Today: 2
(No change)
Will the AFC’s final undefeated team have anyone left to play wide receiver on the other side of their Week 5 bye after losing Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton in Vegas on Sunday? Maybe an old friend?
— Nate Davis
Sports Illustrated: 3
(No change)
One of the most frustrating aspects of the Chiefs’ early-season run is that, for a decade, we wondered when this team was going to find quality edge rushing talent in the late rounds and a downhill running back that could transform the scheme. And just when we became positive the franchise was rebuilding, they came up with R Mason Thomas and Kenneth Walker III in one offseason.
— Conor Orr
FOX Sports: 2
(Up from 4)
Their dismantling of the Broncos in Week 1 was a signal to the world that they were back, and they haven’t really stopped rolling since. Patrick Mahomes is looking like his old MVP self, at least as a passer, and it’s impossible to overstate what the addition of RB Kenneth Walker III, the NFL’s leading rusher, has done to their offense.
They could use a little more of a pass rush to balance things out, but I trust Steve Spagnuolo to find that during this bye week.
Stat To Know: Through their first 151 career starts (regular season and playoffs combined), Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady now have identical 116-35 overall records.
— Ralph Vacchiano
