The Kansas City Chiefs are set to close out their 2025 season on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, a matchup that carries extra weight as it marks the first time since 2014 that the Chiefs will not be participating in postseason football.

After years of sustained success and multiple Super Bowl appearances, this absence from the playoffs is a sobering moment for a franchise that has long been synonymous with offensive dominance and consistency under head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City’s offensive struggles have been painfully apparent, not only during the 2025 season but stretching back over the previous two campaigns, highlighting a growing need for change in personnel and strategy to support their star quarterback.

The situation became even more glaring when Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury, exposing the limitations of the Chiefs’ offense and revealing that the team is heavily reliant on Mahomes’ unique talents to generate scoring opportunities.

With free agency just around the corner, Kansas City faces a critical offseason in which they will need to make at least one major offensive acquisition to complement Mahomes in 2026 and restore balance to the roster.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report has suggested a bold move for the Chiefs: signing Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker to a three-year, $29 million deal, a transaction that could dramatically improve their rushing attack.

Kay argues that Walker would likely prefer to leave Seattle, where he currently splits carries in a backfield platoon, in favor of joining a team where he could assume a lead role and fully showcase his ability as a primary ball carrier.

If Kansas City can creatively manage their salary cap to accommodate Walker’s market-value contract, he has the potential to produce a career year, revitalizing a ground game that struggled mightily in the 2025 season and failed to provide consistent support for the passing attack.

The Chiefs’ running game in 2025 was one of the league’s weakest, with no back on the roster capable of reliably carrying the load, emphasizing the urgency for a proven rusher to complement Mahomes once he returns from his ACL rehabilitation.

While acquiring Walker would require strategic cost-saving moves, the potential benefits are significant: a rejuvenated ground game could ease pressure on the passing attack and create more balanced offensive schemes that challenge opposing defenses at multiple levels.

Walker’s speed, vision, and explosiveness would give the Chiefs a new dimension in the backfield, allowing Mahomes to operate more freely and opening opportunities for play-action passes and creative offensive sets under head coach Andy Reid.

Currently, Walker and Zach Charbonnet have helped the Seahawks maintain the No. 1 seed in the NFC heading into the final week of the season, underscoring Walker’s ability to perform at a high level even in a shared workload situation.

Pairing Walker with a draft pick at running back could further energize the Chiefs’ rushing attack, providing depth and flexibility while creating competition that often elevates overall team performance.

Beyond on-field production, Walker’s presence could also boost morale and confidence within the offense, signaling to teammates and fans alike that the Chiefs are committed to addressing their offensive deficiencies and returning to championship contention.

In an era where balanced offenses often dictate postseason success, adding a dynamic runner like Walker may be a decisive factor in transforming Kansas City into a more versatile and resilient team capable of contending at the highest level.

With free agency looming and Mahomes’ recovery ongoing, the Chiefs’ front office faces critical decisions that could shape the team’s trajectory for years to come, making the pursuit of Kenneth Walker one of the most intriguing storylines of the offseason.

Ultimately, landing Walker would not only address immediate needs in the rushing game but also create strategic flexibility, allowing Kansas City to diversify play-calling, open lanes for receivers, and reduce the burden on their quarterback as he returns to full health.

The Chiefs’ fans, already enduring the disappointment of missing the postseason, will be closely watching the team’s offseason moves, hopeful that acquisitions like Walker could turn a disappointing 2025 campaign into a renewed push for NFL dominance in 2026.