The Kansas City Chiefs have experienced remarkable success with Patrick Mahomes serving as quarterback, yet their exceptional running back is nearing a significant milestone that none of his predecessors achieved while Mahomes has been the starter.
Kenneth Walker III requires only 64 rushing yards to set the record for the highest single-season rushing total by a Chiefs running back since Mahomes took on the role of starting quarterback in 2018.
Walker has accumulated 872 rushing yards over eight games, putting him within reach of Isiah Pacheco’s impressive 935-yard figure from the 2023 season.
As noted by Kansas City sports broadcaster Cody Tapp on Monday, Walker is merely 63 yards shy of equaling that record.
Just one more yard would secure him the record outright.
Pacheco set this standard in 2023, rushing for 935 yards and scoring seven touchdowns on 205 carries amidst 14 games.
Walker, on the other hand, has achieved this near-total with only 159 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt compared to Pacheco’s 4.6 in 2023.
This milestone underscores the dramatic transformation Walker has brought to Kansas City’s rushing game since joining the team from the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason.
His latest achievement was during Sunday’s 35-12 victory over the New York Jets, where he rushed for 102 yards on 18 carries.
Walker also found the end zone three times, including two touchdowns on passes from Mahomes, helping Kansas City break a two-game losing streak.
This performance positioned him alongside Jim Brown in a rare category within NFL statistics.
Walker has now recorded five games with multiple touchdowns through the first eight games of the season, trailing only Brown’s six such games in 1958.
The rushing milestone signifies another outstanding accomplishment in a season that kicked off with Walker aiming to break two long-standing NFL records.
Despite a dip in production during consecutive losses to Seattle and Denver, Walker rebounded against the Jets with his fifth game of over 100 rushing yards this season.
His rise has provided Mahomes with a reliable rushing option while diversifying Kansas City’s offensive scheme.
The Chiefs have also managed concerns about Mahomes’ elbow injury during the game against the Jets, making Walker’s ongoing productivity particularly crucial.
Kansas City is set to take on the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, presenting Walker with the chance to exceed Pacheco’s total in what will be only his ninth game with the team.
With nine regular-season games still to play, the debate is no longer if Walker can achieve the Mahomes-era rushing record, but rather how far beyond it he may finish.
