The Kansas City Chiefs’ newest offensive weapon delivered an impressive opening month. With 621 yards from scrimmage, six total touchdowns, and an impressive 6.2 yards per carry, Walker has been a driving force behind Kansas City’s undefeated start.
A look at the Chiefs’ legendary run puts his early success into perspective.
It’s a conversation that takes us through different eras of Kansas City football, from Christian Okoye and Priest Holmes to Larry Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco.
While their journeys to being a featured back have varied, each offers insight into just how impressive Walker’s arrival has been.
Different paths to being featured back
Not every great Chiefs running back started his career with the same opportunity.
Walker came to Kansas City with hopes of being the team’s primary pass rush option. Kareem Hunt found himself in a similar position as a rookie in 2017 after Spencer Ware suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Larry Johnson spent the early part of his career playing behind Priest Holmes. Jamaal Charles gradually got more opportunities before becoming one of the franchise’s most explosive running backs. Isiah Pacheco began his rookie season playing in the backfield before eventually taking on a bigger role.
Even Christian Okoye’s rise to being the centerpiece of Kansas City’s rushing attack took time.
How Walker stacks up against Chiefs history
How Walker stacks up against Chiefs Running back history | Length of comparison | carrying | Rush yards | Yards per carry | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Johnson | 2005, Weeks 9–12 | 116 | 569 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Kenneth Walker III | 2026, Weeks 1–4 | 87 | 537 | 6.2 | 4 |
| Kareem Hunt | 2017, Weeks 1–4 | 68 | 502 | 7.4 | 4 |
| Christian Okoye | 1989, Weeks 2–5 | 98 | 464 | 4.7 | 4 |
| Jamaal Charles | 2009, Weeks 10–13 | 67 | 310 | 4.6 | 3 |
| Isiah Pacheco | 2022, Sunday 10–13 | 67 | 324 | 4.8 | 2 |
| Priest Holmes | 2001, Weeks 1–4 | 55 | 240 | 4.4 | 2 |
These are representative of the four-game stretches from each player’s emergence as the primary pass rush option, rather than a ranking of their first four official starts. Historical periods are different because their opportunities are formed differently.
The numbers tell an interesting story.
Walker produced the second-most rushing yards in those stretches, trailing only Johnson’s impressive 2005 breakout.
But perhaps even more impressive is how well Walker put up those yards.
Johnson needed 116 carries to reach 569 yards. Walker amassed 537 yards on just 87 attempts, averaging more than a full yard per carry, better than Johnson during that span.
While Johnson’s production has been exceptional, Walker’s workload and explosive playmaking ability make his start stand out.
Larry Johnson: When dominance got its chance
If one player’s emergence deserves mention alongside Walker’s, it’s Larry Johnson.
Johnson spent his early career waiting behind Holmes, one of the most productive offensive players in franchise history. But when Holmes suffered a season-ending injury in 2005, Johnson finally got his chance to be Kansas City’s featured running back.
What followed was one of the most dominant episodes of the franchise’s production rush.
Beginning in Week 9, Johnson rushed for 107 yards against the Oakland Raiders, 132 against the Buffalo Bills, an incredible 211 against the Houston Texans, and another 119 against the New England Patriots.
That’s 569 yards in four games, and Johnson is just getting started.
He eventually finished the season with 1,750 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns despite not becoming a full-time starter until midway through the year.
Kareem Hunt: The closest comparison
Of all the running backs on this list, Kareem Hunt might be the closest comparison to Walker. Both entered their respective seasons with high expectations, and both delivered immediately.
Hunt’s NFL debut against the Patriots in 2017 remains one of the most memorable performances by a Chiefs rookie. He rushed for 148 yards, added 98 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns in Kansas City’s 42-27 win.
Through four games, Hunt has rushed for 502 yards on 68 carries, an astounding 7.4 yards per attempt. He also added 157 receiving yards, for 659 yards from scrimmage.
Walker surpassed Hunt’s early rushing total, but Hunt was better on every carry and made more yards from scrimmage.
The various roads of Charles, Okoye, Holmes and Pacheco
Not every Chiefs great announced himself in an explosive opening month.
Priest Holmes is perhaps the best example. When Holmes arrived from Baltimore in 2001, the NFL didn’t view him as one of its premier running backs. In his first four games in Kansas City, Holmes rushed for just 240 yards.
But by the end of the season, he led the NFL with 1,555 rushing yards.
And over the next few years, Holmes became one of the most productive all-around running backs in league history.
Jamaal Charles followed a different path.
His chances increased during the 2009 season, and on Sunday’s 10th he began to show the explosiveness that would define his career. Charles rushed for 310 yards over the next four games, but his most memorable performance came later that season when he exploded for 259 yards against Denver.
Christian Okoye brought a completely different style to Kansas City’s offense.
Dubbed the “Nigerian Nightmare,” Okoye became known for his physicality and ability to tire opposing defenses.
Early in his league-leading 1989 season, Okoye rushed for 464 yards in Weeks 2 through 5, offering a glimpse of the bruising running style that would help him finish with 1,480 rushing yards.
And then there’s Isiah Pacheco.
Pacheco didn’t enter the league with the expectations surrounding Walker, Hunt or some of the franchise’s earlier stars.
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Pacheco earned his chances with a physical running style and relentless effort. His production in his first extended stint as Kansas City’s primary pass rush option wasn’t nearly as explosive as Walker’s, but he contributed to Kansas City’s championship success, showing that a running back’s impact isn’t always measured by eye-popping statistics.
Different players. Different events. Different styles.
But each eventually became an integral part of the Chiefs’ offensive identity.
Four games do not a legendary career make.
Holmes, Johnson, Charles and Okoye built their reputations through sustainable production. Hunt’s impressive rookie season showed how quickly a running back can make an impact, while Pacheco showed that championship contributions don’t always show up in individual stats.
Walker still has a lot to prove.
But there’s something significant about a running back who arrives in Kansas City and immediately puts together a four-game stretch that compares to some of the best to ever wear a Chiefs uniform.
Through four games, Walker has already established himself as one of the most valuable additions to Kansas City’s offense.
And perhaps the most exciting part for Chiefs fans is that this may just be the beginning.
The Chiefs have had great running backs before. What’s exciting about Walker’s arrival is that he doesn’t just remind fans of those players. He is starting to write his own story.