Five stats Chiefs fans should know about new running back Kenneth Walker III
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs sign Kenneth Walker III, adding long-run threat and speed.
- Walker forced missed tackles on 30.2% of touches in 2025, 3rd-highest.
- Walker had five 25+ yard rushes in Super Bowl LX; Chiefs had one last season.
It was a Manic Monday for the Chiefs as NFL free agency kicked off.
The Chiefs signed defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga from the Patriots, are bringing back tight end Travis Kelce, signed safety Alohi Gilman, lost much of their defensive backs, signed Tyquan Thornton and got a major upgrade at running back.
The Chiefs are signing Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, who was last seen running through the New England defense in Super Bowl LX.
Fans are probably familiar with the running back, but here are five statistics to know about Walker.
3.19
That was the average number of seconds Walker spent behind the line of scrimmage, the most of any running back in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.
During Super Bowl LX, Walker showed patience in allowing a hole to develop, much like former Steelers great Le’Veon Bell. On one play in particular, NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth compared Walker to Bell, and X user Jake Franklin Football shared this video of Bell and Walker.
2
That’s the number of rushes of 25 or more yards that Walker had in Super Bowl LX. Why’s that significant? Chiefs running backs had just one all of last season, as CBS Sports researcher Doug Clawson noted.
15
Walker reached 15 mph or faster on 67 of his rushes last season, according to Next Gen Stats, per Arrowhead Addict’s Price Carter. The Chiefs running backs hit that speed just 24 times in 2025.
And Walker topped 20 mph twice, a speed no Chiefs running back reached last year.
30.2
Next Gen Stats said Walker “forced a missed tackle on 30.2% of his touches in 2025, the 3rd-highest rate in the NFL (min. 150 touches). “Walker has ranked inside the top 12 in missed tackle forced rate in every season since entering the league in 2022.”
3
That is the number of career fumbles for Walker in 1,044 touches, including the playoffs. The Chiefs lost just three fumbles a year ago and that tied for the fewest in the NFL.
