After last season's disappointing struggles, including Patrick Mahomes' season-ending injury and failing to reach the postseason, the Kansas City Chiefs are off to a hot 4-0 start. This past weekend, they battled a fellow undefeated team and division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a highly-viewed showdown between two unbeaten squads, with Mahomes and the Chiefs emerging as the 30-27 winners.
The two-time Most Valuable Player threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. However, teammate Kenneth Walker III, who was the Super Bowl MVP for the Seattle Seahawks back in February, powered the team on the ground with 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns. With that, Rob Gronkowski made a strong claim about Walker's value amid Kansas City's perfect start to the season.
More news: Two Clear Favorites Emerge to Sign Pro Bowl WR Tyreek Hill While talking with former New England Patriots teammate Julian Edelman, Gronk indicated that "Mahomes won this game once again for the Kansas City Chiefs." However, Edelman quickly pointed out Walker's big stat line from the game, and Gronk changed his message. That's the reason why they won this game. That's the Kansas City Chiefs' maybe best addition of all time over the Patrick Mahomes era," Gronkowski claimed on "The Gronk & Jules Show," adding, "Name someone better.
I'm talking free agent addition." Kenneth Walker is putting together a monstrous start to his first season with the Chiefs. He ranks second in carries with 87, first in the NFL in rushing yards with 537, and also ranks first with 6.2 average rushing yards per carry. Walker's four rushing touchdowns have him tied for sixth in the league, and it appears he's far from done as a serious offensive weapon for Mahomes to rely on, taking pressure off him to pass as much.
That said, there are a few other solid former free agent acquisitions to consider during the Mahomes era: Safety Tyrann Mathieu and offensive lineman Joe Thuney. The Chiefs added Mathieu via free agency in 2019 on a three-year deal, and he became part of Mahomes' first Super Bowl-winning roster in 2020. Thuney signed with the Chiefs for five years in 2021 and he provided solid pass protection for Mahomes during two more Super Bowl wins before getting traded to the Chicago Bears in 2025.
It's only four games into this NFL season, so Walker's results in the Mahomes era are to be determined. That said, the Chiefs already look like they have a legitimate shot at reaching another Super Bowl during Mahomes' superstar career. More news: Bijan Robinson Makes History With Huge Performance in Falcons ‘MNF’ Win For more about the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
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