Fresh off winning Super Bowl MVP honors last season, Kenneth Walker III is embarking on the next stage of his career after signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. And from what we've learned during the preseason so far, it seems he hasn't missed a step in making the transition to his new team.
Of course, we didn't see Walker in action during the Chiefs' preseason opener, as he was kept on the sidelines. But the intel coming out of preseason activities for the franchise indicates that he is looking every bit the elite running back the Chiefs hoped he would be when signing him.
According to Jesse Newell, who covers the Chiefs for The Athletic, Walker has been making quite the impact during training camp. His reporting indicates that Walker is getting the ball "all the time," is being used as the main running back in red-zone situations, and is the "primary target" in the franchise's screen game.
Kenneth Walker III training camp update, per @jessenewell:
• Getting the ball "all the time"
• Used as the main guy in the red zone
• Has been the primary target in screen-game pic.twitter.com/bdpzHgkdRH
Walker had what was arguably the best season of his career last year since his debut in the league in 2022, rushing for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, tying his career-high of 4.6 yards per carry while starting all 17 regular-season games for the Seahawks. He also tallied 282 receiving yards while averaging 9.1 yards per reception.
Walker also had a breakout performance in Super Bowl LX, tallying a season-high 135 rushing yards while adding 26 receiving yards, helping the Seahawks capture the top prize in the NFL. It was the most rushing yards in a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXXII, which was also the last time a running back was named Super Bowl MVP before Walker earned the award.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Kenneth Walker III turning heads during first preseason with Chiefs
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