The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos will sting for a while. Still, there was at least one thing to celebrate.

Rookie running back Emmett Johnson had his breakout NFL performance. He finished the contest with 143 scrimmage yards (15 rushing and 128 receiving) and his first career NFL touchdown. Those 143 scrimmage yards rank third-most by any rookie in the NFL this season.

Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson’s breakout by the numbers

Johnson’s first career touchdown came in the second quarter on a 73-yard reception. That was the longest catch by a Chiefs player since WR Tyreek Hill’s 75-yard touchdown on Sept. 12, 2021, in a Week 1 contest against the Cleveland Browns. It was also the longest reception by a rookie in the NFL this season and the fifth-longest among all players in 2026.

Perhaps the most astonishing stat is his first-half production: Johnson’s 119 receiving yards in the first half were the most by a rookie in Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s 28 seasons as an NFL head coach.

It quickly became apparent in Week 8 that Johnson was on a heater. He was doing good things every time he touched the ball.

Patrick Mahomes says exactly what needed to be said about the Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie running back

After the Week 8 loss, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said exactly what needed to be said about Johnson’s performance. He knows the NFL season is long, and using all the weapons at their disposal to the fullest will lead to more on-field success.

“Yeah, no, I mean we’re going to need more of it,” Mahomes said of Johnson’s performance. “I mean, obviously Kenneth (Walker) is the guy, but you want to be able to take carries away from him, so we can have him for the full entire season. And if we can come in, and Emmett (Johnson) can come in, be a change of pace, and break tackles, and make plays, catch the ball, do all that different type of stuff. Defenses can’t relax, and so I thought he did a great job today, and he’s done great the entire time he’s been here. And as the season goes on, we’ll continue to utilize him more and more, while at the same time utilizing Kenneth.”

Kenneth Walker will remain the bell cow running back in Kansas City. That said, a one-two punch of Walker and Johnson will keep NFL defenses on their toes. Johnson’s pass-catching ability shone in Week 8. He caught all five of his targets. However, his running shouldn’t be underrated either.

Johnson had only one carry for 15 yards against Denver, but he forced five missed tackles on that single run. By comparison, Walker had 21 attempts and forced just six missed tackles.

The Chiefs missed a chance to ride the hot hand

Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they couldn’t capitalize on their fifth-round running back’s special performance. I do think they learned something about Johnson in this game that they can use to their advantage in the remainder of the 2026 NFL season.

It’s a shame they didn’t realize it sooner, because it feels as if Johnson could have made an even bigger impact in the loss. His only touch on Kansas City’s final series was a 44-yard kick return on the opening play. Had the Chiefs found a way to get him involved after that, they might have capitalized on a player who was having a scorching-hot game and wouldn’t be denied.

That’s hindsight now, and Kansas City can only look ahead. Hopefully, Johnson becomes a bigger part of the Chiefs’ Week 9 game plan. They’ll need more performances like that from their offensive players moving forward, and it all starts at home against the New York Jets.