Kenneth Walker III had moments of uncertainty after the Super Bowl MVP helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Lombardi Trophy in February.
Facing free agency for the first time, Walker wasn’t sure about his future. The Kansas City Chiefs are happy he joined them.
Walker has already run for 537 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Chiefs start 4-0. He’s on pace to rush for 2,282 yards, which would set an NFL record for most yards in a season.
"It was a lot
during the offseason, not knowing where you’ll end up at and how everything will work out, but I got two great agents and talking over everything with my pops was a help as well,” Walker said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “Ended up here and it’s been a blessing.”
Walker’s presence has added a new dimension to Kansas City’s offense, taking pressure off Patrick Mahomes and giving the unit more balance to prevent defenses from focusing on taking away the pass.
The Chiefs haven’t had a running back gain 1,000 yards in a season since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018. Walker is aware of it and could reach that total by midseason.
"I knew the season could be special the way we worked in OTAs and training camp, the work we put in to get to this point,” Walker said. “And, I pray we continue to be successful throughout the season.”
Mahomes lobbied hard for the Chiefs to get Walker in free agency. While he was recovering from ACL surgery, he reportedly texted GM Brett Veach several times about Walker during the NFL playoffs.
Walker had 312 yards rushing and four TDs in three playoff games, including 135 yards on 27 carries in Seattle’s 29-13 win over New England in the Super Bowl.
"We’re able to just talk off the field about anything. It’s not always about football,” Walker said of his relationship with Mahomes. “So first off, with me, that means a lot when everything is not just about football. But on the field, even just throwing me the ball or relying on me for anything, the confidence that he has in me, it means a lots to me.”
Walker said what surprised him most about the culture in Kansas City was the team’s tough work ethic.
"Going through training camp, it was a grind, those hot days and early mornings, late nights,” he said. “It was just a grind going through that, but even throughout the week, the practices that we have, it’s a grind. But it makes it much easier to go into the game and play at our best.”
Bruce Arians brought Todd Bowles with him to Tampa Bay to be the team’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and wanted him to be his successor as head coach.
Bowles replaced Arians when he abruptly retired in 2022 and led the Buccaneers to three straight NFC South titles, winning one playoff game. But the Bucs are 2-11 since a 6-2 start last season and Bowles is on the hot seat.
The problem in Tampa Bay isn’t a lack of talent.
“Well, the talent’s not the issue,” Arians said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “(General manager) Jason Licht puts a heck of a roster together, and they’re tied at the hip. The one thing we always have, our GM and head coach have always been tied at the hip. We’re in this together. … And those teams that have those separate categories of personnel and coaching, that usually don’t work. You gotta be in that together. We picked them all together. We never picked a player the coaches didn’t like. That part of it, I don’t think can ever be used as an excuse. It’s the players on the field making the plays, and that crucial catch, that dumb penalty, too many of those right now.”
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