Overview
- In Sunday’s 22-6 win over the Chargers Walker rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his total to 665 rushing yards in his first five games with Kansas City, the most ever by a player in his first five games with a new team.
- NFL Next Gen Stats shows Walker has forced 52 missed tackles through five games, a rate that has changed how opponents defend the Chiefs and produced a high yards-after-contact output.
- High-profile voices including J.J. Watt and analyst Dan Orlovsky have publicly argued Walker belongs in the MVP conversation because his running has materially opened Kansas City’s offense.
- Chiefs coaches publicly say they plan to manage Walker’s touches because of his prior injury history and are planning to increase rookie Emmett Johnson’s role to preserve Walker’s availability.
- The Week 7 rematch at Seattle will test Missouri’s pace-based projections that put Walker on track for record single-season totals and will highlight how the Seahawks are coping without the back they traded this offseason.