Chiefs' 'fresh' offseason should have AFC nervous ahead of 2026 season

Chiefs' 'fresh' offseason should have AFC nervous ahead of 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There's no denying that the biggest issue the Kansas City Chiefs had to fix this offseason was the running back position.

After a poor return in 2025, the Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker to bolster the room. But Kansas City also lost both corners in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, so the secondary had to be overhauled as well.

The Chiefs drafted Mansoor Delane in the first round to solidify the corner spot, as general manager Brett Veach has gone about this soft roster reset with a plomb.

But despite all of the roster changes and the Chiefs' superb draft class, CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles thinks Walker is the biggest and best change.

"Even before Patrick Mahomes' injury, it was clear the version of the Chiefs that had won two of the past three Super Bowls had run its course," Pereles wrote. "It couldn't rely on Mahomes to bail them out of every tough situation or close game. So they began anew.

"But Walker, the Super Bowl MVP, is the biggest change. Chiefs running backs were dead last in explosive rush rate the last two years. He's a complete 180 from what Kansas City has had recently."

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