Kenneth Walker the cutback king and 3 more takeaways from Day 6 of Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp practice
The Kansas City Chiefs were back at it at Missouri Western State University on Tuesday, their second padded practice of training camp. What did we learn during Day 6 of practice?
The Kansas City Chiefs continued their sixth full-roster practice session at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri on Tuesday. It marked the team’s second consecutive practice in pads.
Chiefs WRs Cyrus Allen (shin bruise) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder sprain) remained out of practice, but worked in the training tent on the sidelines. Ashton Gillotte remained sidelined by a hamstring injury. Omarr Norman-Lott remains on the Active/PUP list. There was one new addition to the injury group on Tuesday, with CB Kristian Fulton spotted without pads or a helmet. Chiefs first-round CB Mansoor Delane remains sidelined by a mystery shoulder injury. Rashee Rice and L’Jarius Sneed remained limited. Rice got some work in 7-on-7 and 1-on-1 drills, while Sneed only got work during 1-on-1 drills.
What else did we learn from Day 6 of Chiefs training camp practice?
Ken Walker the cutback king
A big feature of Ken Walker’s game in the NFL has been his ability to cut back and find a rushing lane. That has been very apparent during the past two padded practice sessions for Kansas City. Walker’s vision and agility have been on full display. The linebackers and defensive line have been eager to stuff the run game, but Walker has made them pay for it at times when they overcommit. When things get bottled up, Walker takes it upon himself to cut it back.
“Yeah, that’s just how I’ve been playing since I was a kid,” Walker said. “You know, just learning from my pops and you know watching backs in the league. Honestly, just learning from my pops, though. You know, if he says too many people over here go the other way, and I feel like it still works to this day. You know, I don’t want to run into a crowd if I can go somewhere in the open field.”
The Chiefs haven’t had a cutback runner like Walker since perhaps when Marcus Allen was on the team in the 1990s. No. 9 insists that cutting back comes naturally to him and has ever since he was younger.
“Like I said, growing up, I’ve been doing it since I was younger,” Walker said. “So, you know, just getting better at it as I go. You know, high school, college, and then to the pros. Yeah, honestly, like I always say, any way I can make a positive impact on the team, I’m gonna do it. So you know, short yardage, passing, blocking, anything. You know, I want to go out there and do it.”
That’s not to say Walker won’t put his shoulder down and barrel through a defender every now and again.
Tyquan Thornton stacking good days of practice
Thornton has been the Chiefs’ top receiver with the first-team offense with Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, and Cyrus Allen still dealing with injuries. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable and confident in that role. Especially after Monday’s practice session that saw a few of his targets broken up and one result in an interception.
During red zone install, Thornton and Mahomes’ chemistry was apparent. During 1-on-1 drills, Thornton beat a physical L’Jarius Sneed in coverage for a tough grab. Early into team drills, Mahomes threw a fade pass to Thornton, who caught it over the shoulder for a big gain in 11-on-11.
This is exactly the type of thing that the Chiefs need out of Thornton heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Peter Woods, Kahlil Benson making a name for themselves
After two padded practice sessions, some of the biggest winners for the Kansas City Chiefs are rookies.
Peter Woods has flashed elite quickness and explosion. He’s even giving All-Pro and Pro Bowl starters like Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith a hard time during team drills and individuals.
“He’s a little pit bull, man,” Khyiris Tonga said of Woods after practice. “He nasty, he’s got something to him, and he’s got a chip on his shoulder. Eager to learn. Yeah, just a sponge, man. Just taking everything in, learning and growing, and it’s cool to see that… He could play the run, could do the pass, technique stuff. Obviously, learning is different in college, so the speed of the game. But he’s there. I mean, y’all watch him during practice and things. He be flashing. So just for him to just continue to learn and to grow, it’s gonna be sky’s the limit for P. Woods, man.”
Kahlil Benson also showed off some quickness on Tuesday. He’s been praised by Andy Reid for his power, and that has been on display in a big way during the run-game work. He’s consistently moving defensive linemen off the ball and getting into the second level of the ground game.
“He’s done great,” Kenneth Walker said after practice. “You know, we got pads on now, and you get to see how well he’s doing out there, and you know he’s going to have a great impact on his team.”
Legends Day at Chiefs training camp
The Kansas City Chiefs invited back a number of former players for training camp practice on Tuesday, Aug. 4. These were a few of the players spotted during the practice session.
- WR Dwayne Bowe
- QB Trent Green
- DB Tyrann Mathieu
- RB Spencer Ware
The team also has a number of former players in attendance as coaches at training camp (see below).
