Running back Kenneth Walker III has agreed to a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
The deal is for three years and worth up to $45 million, according to the report, which did not note how much is guaranteed. Per the report, the contract is the richest free-agent deal for a running back in NFL history.
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Walker confirmed the move on social media shortly after the news broke.
Walker moves from the reigning Super Bowl champions to a Chiefs franchise that played in five of the previous six Super Bowls, winning three of them. He’ll join a Chiefs team looking to rebound after finishing 6-11 in 2025 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
What Walker brings to Chiefs
The addition marks a significant upgrade to a Chiefs offense that struggled to run the ball last season amid a knee injury that limited Isiah Pacheco and sidelined him for three games. Injuries also limited Pacheco to seven games in 2024, and he’s averaged 3.7 yards and 3.9 yards per carry in each of the last two seasons after averaging 4.7 yards per carry through his first two NFL seasons. The Chiefs ranked 25th in the NFL in total rushing yards in 2025.
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In Walker, the Chiefs add a running back coming off his second 1,000-yard rushing campaign in four NFL seasons and who tied a career high with 4.6 yards per carry. Walker’s addition to the roster could spell the end of Pacheco’s time in Kansas City. Pacheco is a free agent.
The Chiefs are hoping to return to Super Bowl contention in 2026, and the signing of Walker further signals their intention to do so. Getting quarterback Patrick Mahomes back healthy from a torn ACL will be the most important step in those efforts. Mahomes sustained his ACL tear in December in a Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He hopes to be back for the start of next season, but a timeline at this point isn’t clear.
Walker’s run to Super MVP with Seattle
Walker played a key role in the Seahawks’ run to the Super Bowl, finishing the postseason with 417 yards and four touchdowns. During the regular season, Walker and Zach Charbonnet split carries, but Walker took on more responsibility after Charbonnet injured his knee in the divisional win over the 49ers.
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Walker, 25, saved his best for last, finishing with 161 yards in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win over the Patriots. He became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1998. In the regular season, Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns.
Despite Walker playing all 17 games for the first time in his career, the Seahawks opted not to franchise tag him. The franchise tag for running backs was $14.186 million, according to Spotrac. The transition tag would have dropped the price to $11.7 million, allowing the Seahawks to match any offer Walker received on the open market. Last year, Walker had a base salary of $1.8 million on the final year of his rookie contract.
The Seahawks are expected to use their savings to re-sign other free agents, such as 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Jaxson Smith-Njigba, now eligible for an extension ahead of his fourth season. The Seahawks also still have Charbonnet under contract for another season. Last season, Charbonnet had 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.