The Kansas City Chiefs revamped their running back room during the 2026 NFL offseason, and Emari Demercado sits at the center of the position group’s biggest unanswered question.

Kansas City added RB Kenneth Walker as the prize of free agency after his Super Bowl LX MVP performance with the Seattle Seahawks. The Chiefs also signed Demercado from the Arizona Cardinals, drafted running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round out of Nebraska, and brought in a pair of undrafted free agents.

With the training camp report date at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, approaching in a matter of days, only one thing about this running back room is clear: Walker is the No. 1 back.

The explosive production is real, but are the limitations of Demercado?

Demercado’s career numbers paint a fascinating picture. Over three seasons with the Cardinals, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry, the top mark in the Super Bowl era among players with at least 100 carries. Demercado led the entire NFL in 2025 with 5.52 yards after contact per attempt and 7.1 yards per carry.

The unique situation with Demercado is that he is 27 years old, yet he has never had more than 79 touches in a single NFL season. He has never tallied more than 315 rushing yards in a single campaign, either. He is a talented pass catcher with 50 career receptions, but his resume is thin by traditional standards. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound running back started only two games in 40 regular-season appearances.

Most fans will remember him for one play above all others. A 72-yard breakaway run vs. the Titans. It should have been a touchdown, except Demercado dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, resulting in a touchback. Those types of mistakes can’t happen and won’t be tolerated in Kansas City under Eric Bieniemy.

What’s clear about Demercado is that the explosive playmaking ability is there. The volume of work to prove he can sustain it is not. That’s the mystery of it all. If Demercado is such an explosive player, why didn’t the Cardinals use him more frequently? Was it simply a trust issue? That’s what K.C. must find out in July and August.

The competition for running back No. 2 feels wide open

Things settled into a certain order during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, with players slotting into the No. 2 and No. 3 roles, accordingly. However, those roles could shift once training camp begins. Demercado’s contract doesn’t necessarily dictate that he will be on the 53-man roster, so the opportunity to cement himself as the backup behind Walker is earned, not given.

Running back Brashard Smith, entering his second year with Kansas City, will have chances to contribute in the passing game as a former wide receiver. Johnson, the talented rookie out of Nebraska, won’t go down without a fight for that No. 2 role. Demercado has the most explosive profile of the bunch, and the Chiefs need someone who can generate chunk plays when Walker is off the field. Demercado has the inside track as the player who logged the No. 2 RB repetitions during the offseason workout program. If he can prove to hold up in all phases, he could factor in as the player to spell Walker.

What Demercado could be for the Chiefs’ roster in 2026

The question is fairly simple. Can Demercado rise to the occasion and lock down the No. 2 running back job, or will he end up a potential salary-cap casualty as the team trims its roster ahead of Week 1?

That second outcome seems rather unlikely unless things completely crumble beneath Demercado’s feet during camp. He seems more like the type of complementary back who has stuck with Kansas City over the years. Think Damien Williams, Darrell Williams, Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West. Those players weren’t the flashiest names and didn’t carry the household recognition of a Kenneth Walker, but they got the job done in a pinch and helped win football games.

Training camp and the preseason represent DeMarcado’s chance to prove he belongs in that lineage.