Kenneth Walker is the latest addition to the Kansas City Chiefs’ growing injury list ahead of preseason Week 3
The Kansas City Chiefs’ injury list added another starter with preseason Week 3’s game with the Seattle Seahawks just a few days away.
The Kansas City Chiefs added a concerning new injury to the report on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Chiefs PR informed reporters during Tuesday media availability that RB Kenneth Walker was added to the injury report with a foot injury. As a result, the team did not expect him to participate in practice on Tuesday. Walker did participate in practice on Monday, following the preseason Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That suggests this is a new injury that was suffered during the practice week.
The other players expected to miss practice on Tuesday:
- Jack Cochrane (knee)
- Chamarri Conner (knee)
- Ashton Gillotte (foot)
- Alohi Gilman (back)
- C.J. Hansen (undisclosed)
- Jimmy Holiday (quad)
- Chris Oladokun (concussion)
- Josh Simmons (back)
- Tyreke Smith (hamstring)
We won’t hear any specifics about Walker’s injury until Andy Reid speaks to the media on Wednesday. The Chiefs have been very cautious with injuries this offseason, notably dialing some guys back when necessary.
Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker’s injury history raises concerns here
Injuries have been a major subplot in Kenneth Walker’s NFL career so far. It’s one of the biggest reasons people doubt his ability to be a workhorse running back in Kansas City. Walker missed Week 1 of his rookie season in 2022 due to a hernia. He suffered an ankle sprain later in the year that kept him out of a divisional game. In 2023, he suffered an oblique injury along with groin and shoulder injuries. He also missed several different stretches of the 2024 NFL season due to ankle, calf, and oblique injuries.
The foot injury is something new, and it’s rarely a good injury for a running back to deal with. Even if it’s minor, it can easily be aggravated. However, the timing is a bit of a saving grace.
The timing is the good news about this injury
The Kansas City Chiefs open the 2026 NFL season on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos. Their Week 1 matchup is 22 days away. Walker doesn’t need to participate in preseason Week 3. He’ll be anxious to participate because it’s against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks.
The team can simply put him on ice, let the foot injury heal, and hope that he’s ready to get back out there for Week 1 of the regular season. That’s, of course, if the injury is determined to be nothing serious that would keep him out for a longer stretch of time. Thankfully, the Chiefs do have some talented depth behind Walker this season in Emari Demercado, Emmett Johnson, and Brashard Smith.
