Kansas City Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson did his best Dante Hall impression on Sunday; Andy Reid says more opportunities are coming
The Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back has recorded positive yardage on every touch through 2 weeks. His role alongside Kenneth Walker could grow sooner than fans think.
Kansas City Chiefs rookie RB Emmett Johnson has made an impact through the first two games of the 2026 regular season. On Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts, he gave fans a blast from the past with one of his most electric plays yet.
With just under three minutes to go in the third quarter, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes faked the play action to Johnson, then threw him a pass just behind the line of scrimmage. Johnson caught the ball at the 45-yard line with three defenders closing on him around the 38. He pulled off a step-back juke that sent all three defenders flying into each other. It allowed him to gain 12 yards and move the sticks.
Not only can you hear Chris Berman’s signature, “Whoop.” The play is reminiscent of a classic play from The Human Joystick.
Johnson’s juke was reminiscent of a classic Dante Hall play
The play reminded me of the classic Dante Hall play against the Denver Broncos back in 2002. Hall caught a pass, was closed in on by two Broncos defenders, stepped back, and watched both players collide. He bounced it outside and ran down the sideline for a 49-yard touchdow.
Johnson’s version produced the same result on a smaller scale. No touchdown, but the elusiveness and body control to juke three defenders out of their cleats were unmistakable.
“It felt good, man,” Johnson said after the game. “I just feel like just trusting my training and what I do in practice. And then any opportunity I get to help the team, I’m just willing to go out there and make plays.”
The highlight play is fun, but it’s only one example of his impact over the first two weeks. He has made the most of his opportunities, with 14 touches for 103 yards. He’s amassed positive yardage on every touch and play Johnson has been involved in.
The big question: When will Johnson’s role expand with the Chiefs?
The big question for Kansas City Chiefs fans is when they’ll see Johnson play a little more. He’s very much the No. 2 running back behind Kenneth Walker. Johnson played just 14 offensive snaps in Week 2 against the Colts, accounting for 18% of the team’s offensive snaps.
According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, fans won’t have to wait long for more of the rookie. While K.C. has no intention of limiting Walker or giving him fewer touches, they do want Johnson to continue growing. He should earn more opportunities to get on the field soon enough.
“Well, I think the way I look at it is the people you mentioned, that’s part of the equation, but the other part is allowing (RB) Emmett (Johnson) to grow,” Reid said. “And so, I think Emmett will continue to get more snaps, and then it’ll take a little bit of load off (RB Kenneth) Kenny (Walker), but he wants that ball. He wants a ball every play; Ken does, and he’s not asking to be relieved or anything else. But I think as it goes on, you get a nice balance with those two in there, and then it keeps them even more fresh as the season goes on.”
There should be a natural order to it. Johnson will start earning more snaps, which will in turn help balance things out and keep both players fresh through the remaining 15 games of the 2026 NFL season and into the playoffs.
No drop-off from Walker to Johnson
What’s been apparent through two games is that there’s no drop-off going from Walker to Johnson. Both players are forcing missed tackles at a high rate and have proven they’re dangerous with the ball in their hands. They’re forming quite the duo in the backfield and will give the Chiefs options they can game plan around for specific matchups.
As players inevitably get dinged up during the course of a long NFL season, having two backs who can carry the load is critical. The Chiefs have maintained that no one is ever 100% healthy at a given time, and having two players capable of shouldering the running back workload is a valuable feature of this offense. Johnson’s early returns suggest Kansas City found exactly that when they added him to the roster in the 2026 NFL Draft.
