KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker have agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $45 million to bring the former Seattle running back to Kansas City, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.
The deal includes $28.7 million guaranteed and $43.05 million in base value, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because contracts cannot become official until the new league
year begins Wednesday.
Walker fills perhaps the biggest need for the Chiefs as they try to bounce back from a disastrous 6-11 season. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, their top two running backs, are both free agents, leaving only second-year pro Brashard Smith under contract.
The deal came as the Chiefs were nearing an agreement to bring back four-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce for his 14th season, a person familiar with those negotiations told AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that contract was not yet final.
Walker, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, ran for 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns over four seasons with the Seahawks. He had 1,027 yards and five scores last season, and he was even better in the playoffs, running for 116 yards and three TDs against the 49ers, another touchdown against the Rams, and 135 yards in a 29-13 win over the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
He is the fourth Super Bowl MVP to change teams the following season: Larry Brown went from the Cowboys to the Raiders, Desmond Howard from the Packers to the Raiders, and Dexter Jackson from the Buccaneers to the Cardinals.
The Chiefs have long survived at running back behind a patchwork of late-round draft picks and bargain free agents. But they were desperate to improve the position after ranking 25th in the NFL in rushing last season with just 106.6 yards per game.
Hunt finished with 661 yards rushing and Pacheco with 462 yards. The Chiefs' third-leading rusher was quarterback Patrick Mahomes with 422 yards and five touchdowns, and he missed the final three games of the season with a torn knee ligament.
The Chiefs had been linked to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the upcoming NFL draft, but his strong scouting combine may have pushed him so far up draft boards that he will be unavailable when Kansas City is due to pick at No. 9 overall.
The Chiefs also have the No. 29 pick in the first round as part of their deal to send cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams. And by signing Walker in free agency, they have more flexibility in the draft to address some of their other pressing needs, including a weak pass rush, the interior of their defensive line, their offensive line depth and wide receiver.
___
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
