On the eve of a Sunday trip to Atlanta, the Kansas City Chiefs learned that Kenneth Walker III, the league's second-leading rusher, would not take the field. A hamstring-free week of questions had ended with a groin injury and a decision made Saturday, the first game he has missed since arriving in Kansas City. The absence strips a marquee matchup of its promise, since the two leading rushers in the league were supposed to meet, and it hands the Chiefs' running game to a fifth-round rookie who has so far earned his chances. It is the quiet kind of turn that football is full of: a team that mus
Kenneth Walker III Ruled Out With Groin Injury; Emmett Johnson Steps Up for Chiefs Against Falcons
The league's top two rushers were set to share a field, and now only one will.
Mark
Walker is out. Why does it matter beyond one game?
Mimi
He's the league's second-leading rusher with 872 yards, and this was the first game he's missed since joining Kansas City. The Chiefs lose a big piece of the offense.
Mark
And the matchup with Atlanta's Bijan Robinson?
Mimi
Robinson leads with 880 yards, only eight ahead of Walker. The top two rushers were supposed to face off, and that's gone.
Luke
Let me slow down. Do we know how serious the groin injury is?
Mimi
Not really. The report says he tweaked it Thursday and was questionable, and Reid said they'd monitor him. No timeline beyond Sunday is given.
Mark
So Emmett Johnson steps in. Can he carry it?
Mimi
He's a fifth-round rookie with 26 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown, plus 14 catches for 237 yards. Reid said everyone has confidence in him.
Luke
Confidence is a quote, not a result. Those are small samples, and he hasn't carried a lead workload in the reporting.
Mimi
Fair. And depth is the real issue: Brashard Smith is on injured reserve, and Ott is questionable with a hamstring.
Mark
What about Mahomes?
Mimi
Full participant all week, no designation. An MRI showed no major elbow injury, per NFL Network, so that's secondhand reporting.
Il Polso
- Walker's groin injury, tweaked in Thursday's practice, forces a late ruling out just as he was set to face Atlanta's Bijan Robinson in a rushing duel for the league lead.
- Rookie Emmett Johnson, a fifth-round pick with 26 carries and 14 catches for 237 yards, is stepping into the lead back role with little margin for error.
- The backfield is thin behind him, with Brashard Smith on injured reserve and Ott questionable with a sore hamstring after limited mop-up duty.
- Mahomes is cleared with no designation after an arm hit in the Jets win, and Chris Jones will join the team in Atlanta, so the offense's core is stable.
- The Chiefs are settling into the trip, watching Johnson's workload and Ott's health to see whether the running game can hold together.
On the eve of a Sunday trip to Atlanta, the Kansas City Chiefs learned that Kenneth Walker III, the league's second-leading rusher, would not take the field. A hamstring-free week of questions had ended with a groin injury and a decision made Saturday, the first game he has missed since arriving in Kansas City. The absence strips a marquee matchup of its promise, since the two leading rushers in the league were supposed to meet, and it hands the Chiefs' running game to a fifth-round rookie who has so far earned his chances. It is the quiet kind of turn that football is full of: a team that must find out what it can do without its best piece, in a week when the larger story is still being written.
The Kansas City Chiefs flew to Atlanta on Saturday without Kenneth Walker III, who was ruled out with a groin injury. It is the first game he has missed since joining the team, and it removes one of the offense's biggest weapons. Walker had been listed as questionable after tweaking the groin in Thursday's practice, and head coach Andy Reid had said the team would monitor him. By Saturday, the answer was clear.
The absence also costs the game a marquee matchup. Walker and Atlanta's Bijan Robinson are the league's top two rushers, separated by only eight yards, and the two were set to share a field. Now only one will.
The load shifts to rookie Emmett Johnson, a fifth-round pick out of Nebraska who has quietly produced, with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown alongside 237 receiving yards and another score. Reid expressed confidence in him, saying Johnson would play regardless. The deeper worry is the depth behind him. Brashard Smith is on injured reserve, and Ott is questionable with a sore hamstring.
There was better news on Mahomes, who was a full participant in practice and carries no designation after a hard arm hit against the Jets. An MRI showed no major elbow injury. Chris Jones, who missed the trip for personal reasons, is expected to join the team in Atlanta.
On Sunday, the questions are how much Johnson carries and whether Ott can give the thin backfield some relief.
The Kansas City Chiefs will travel to Atlanta on Sunday without Kenneth Walker III, who was ruled out Saturday with a groin injury. It will be the first game he has missed since joining the team. Walker is the NFL's second-leading rusher, and his absence takes away one of the Chiefs' biggest offensive weapons.
Walker had been listed as questionable after tweaking the groin during Thursday's practice. Head coach Andy Reid said the team would monitor his progress over the following couple of days. By Saturday, the decision was made.
The timing costs the game a marquee matchup. Atlanta's Bijan Robinson leads the league with 880 rushing yards, just eight ahead of Walker's 872. Walker has also caught 22 passes for 172 yards and four touchdowns, while Robinson has added 250 receiving yards. The league's top two rushers were set to share a field, and now only one will.
Rookie running back Emmett Johnson steps into the lead role. A fifth-round pick out of Nebraska, he has been overlooked, but he has produced when given opportunities. He has carried 26 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, and he has caught 14 passes for 237 yards and another score. Reid expressed confidence in him on Friday, saying Johnson was going to play anyway, whether Walker was there or not, and that everybody has confidence in him.
The larger worry for Kansas City is who stands behind Johnson. Brashard Smith went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Oct. 24. Ott is questionable for the Atlanta game with a sore hamstring. He carried three times for 19 yards in mop-up duty during last week's blowout win over the Jets.
There was better news elsewhere on the injury report. Two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes was a full participant in practice all week and carries no injury designation for Sunday. He took a hard hit to his right arm in last week's 35-12 win over the Jets, but an MRI afterward showed no major injury to his right elbow, according to NFL Network.
Travel was also on the Chiefs' minds. The team flew to Atlanta on Saturday and did not expect changes to its flight plans after the Federal Aviation Administration's ground stoppage a day earlier. Defensive tackle Chris Jones did not travel with the team for personal reasons, but the Chiefs said he would join them in Atlanta, and he has no game designation.
What to watch Sunday is how much work Johnson takes on, and whether Ott is healthy enough to give the thin backfield any relief.
Citazioni salienti
He's going to play anyway, whether Ken's there or not. Everybody has confidence in him.— Andy Reid, Chiefs coach, on Emmett Johnson
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