The Kansas City Chiefs have decided on running back Kenneth Walker’s status for their Week 10 game against the Atlanta Falcons. Walker will not play, and the Chiefs will need someone new to carry the load in the backfield.

Walker was a late addition to the injury report on Friday after he came into the facility and reported groin tightness. Kansas City held him out of the final practice of the week. After that, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that Walker’s status was up in the air.

Walker was listed as questionable for the game. The team planned to reevaluate him on Saturday before traveling to Atlanta for Sunday’s road game.

Chiefs lose a focal point of the offense against Atlanta

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that Walker has been ruled out for the game against the Falcons. He says it’s not expected to be a long-term injury, but it will keep him out of his first game in Kansas City. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Chiefs “want to give him a week.”

Walker has appeared in eight games, recording 159 carries for 872 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He’s added 26 receptions for 172 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP has been the focal point of the Kansas City offense. His absence is no small matter for this club as he’s been the engine of the offense. His production has given the Chiefs another way to stress opposing defenses.

Thankfully for Kansas City, a capable option is waiting in the wings. That player will lead the backfield against Atlanta and will have a chance to impress.

Rookie RB Emmett Johnson gets his shot as the lead back

The Chiefs will lean on rookie running back Emmett Johnson as their lead back against the Falcons. In eight games, Johnson has 26 carries for 111 yards and one touchdown. He’s added 14 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown. Johnson has also contributed on special teams with 11 kick returns for 318 yards and a 44-yard long return.

Johnson’s role hasn’t been large on paper, but he has emerged in recent weeks as one of the team’s more explosive playmakers. That’s especially true in the passing game, where he’s averaging nearly 17 yards per reception. For a rookie still carving out his place in Andy Reid’s offense, that kind of big-play ability is hard to ignore.

Now he’ll have the opportunity to show what he can do in a featured role. Also, how Johnson handles a full workload could tell Kansas City a lot about how much it can trust him down the stretch.

Chiefs running back depth takes another hit

Walker’s absence is made tougher by other injuries at the position. Running back Breshard Smith is on injured reserve, and running back Jaydn Ott is dealing with a hamstring injury.

The Chiefs will likely call up practice squad player Nate Carter, a former Falcons running back, to help fill out the backfield. If that happens, Carter would get a chance to suit up against his former team in his first trip back to Atlanta with Kansas City.

For now, the spotlight belongs to Johnson. How he performs on Sunday will go a long way toward determining whether the Chiefs can keep their offense humming without one of their most important players.