NFL Awards Ballot: After Winning Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker Has Become A Top RB

Kenneth Walker III has been everything the Kansas City Chiefs were looking for when they signed him to a three-year, $45 million deal in free agency. The reigning Super Bowl MVP running back for the Seattle Seahawks last season has continued to perform as he did during the postseason. He’s the only running back with back-to-back 100-yard performances through two games. Walker leads the league in rushing with 290 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging an impressive 6.2 yards per carry. He also has nine receptions for 79 receiving yards and a score. As predicted, the addition of Walker has added more explosiveness to Kansas City’s offense. The Chiefs have nine rushes of at least 10 yards through two games. Kansas City had 44 of those runs the entire season in 2025. With Patrick Mahomes returning from a season-ending knee injury, Walker’s presence on the field has made it so the Texas Tech product does not have to create every big play on offense. But Walker also has benefited from playing with the best quarterback in the NFL on offense. Walker faced a light box (six or fewer defenders at the line of scrimmage) on 36.2% of his runs through two weeks. Last year with Seattle, Walker faced a light box on 26.7% of his rushes last season, per Next Gen Stats. So, defenses having to account for the presence of Mahomes and Kansas City’s passing game has given Walker advantages in the run game. However, everything is not perfect in Kansas City. Although the Chiefs would like Walker to be their workhorse back, there’s a reason he was in a job share with Zach Charbonnet in Seattle — concerns about nagging injuries and his durability. Walker already has a league-high 56 touches. He had 257 touches last season, as the Seahawks did a good job of limiting his touches, so he was effective in the postseason. Walker is on pace for 476 touches this season, which would be the most in a single season in his career. Kansas City would be wise to do something similar, using talented rookie Emmett Johnson to spell Walker so he lasts the duration of the season. Now, let’s dive into my picks for the top three of all the major awards heading into Week 3. Offensive Player Of The Year The skinny: Jaxon Smith-Njigba can’t keep this up, right? A year after dominating the league, earning Offensive Player of the Year in just his second NFL season, he’s at it again. Smith-Njigba has accounted for 42% of Seattle’s offense through two games. He accounted for 44% of Seattle’s receiving offense last year. Derrick Henry, meanwhile, has a chance to rebound from a so-so performance in a loss to New Orleans (68 yards, one touchdown) when he faces a Dallas defense allowing 174 rushing yards a game in Brazil. Defensive Player Of The Year The skinny: Dallas Turner has emerged as the go-to rusher of one of the top defenses in the league for Minnesota. He’s tied for third in the league in sacks (3), first in quarterback pressures (20) and first in quarterback hits (11). As for Greg Rousseau, he leads the league in sacks (4) and is tied for fifth in pressures (12), providing the Bills with a much-needed defensive presence up front. Coach Of The Year The skinny: Give Kevin O’Connell credit for winning two games at the start of the season with a backup quarterback in Carson Wentz. As a result, Minnesota has been arguably the biggest surprise through the first two games of the season, upsetting Chicago in Week 2. Joe Brady has lived up to lofty expectations in Buffalo, going 2-0 against a pair of playoff-caliber opponents, although he has one of the best players in the league in Josh Allen. Finally, Kyle Shanahan has dealt with a lot of adversity this offseason, but has his team atop the best division in football. The 49ers have picked up two decisive victories, upsetting the Rams in Week 1 before demolishing the Dolphins in Week 2. Offensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Kaelon Black didn’t provide much in the 49ers’ win over the Dolphins, rushing for 25 yards. But he had 65 rushing yards in Week 1. Denzel Boston leads all rookies in receiving yards (154) and receiving touchdowns (2), logging 95 receiving yards in the Browns’ upset win over the Buccaneers. Jadarian Price leads all rookies in rushing yards (104) and carries (23), as the Seahawks haven’t missed Kenneth Walker so far. As for the lack of quarterbacks on this list, Falcons quarterback Jack Strand (8-for-15 for 59 yards and an interception) is the only rookie quarterback to have taken an offensive snap through two games this season. Defensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Anthony Jr. Hill leads the league with 26 combined tackles, but Josiah  Trotter continues to make the most game-changing plays, with 24 combined tackles, a sack and an interception returned for a score. Hezekiah Masses, meanwhile, had two interceptions against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, as he’s just one of the many reasons why the Raiders have surprised so far. MVP The skinny: Brock Prudy continues to set a high standard in efficiency. He has the most games with at least a 140 passer rating (eight) through a quarterback’s first five years in league history. He had a 149.1 passer rating in the 49ers’ win over the Dolphins, throwing for as many touchdowns (2) as he did incompletions. Yes, Patrick Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns. But what stood out was his ability to push the ball down the field after failing to do so in Week 1 against the Broncos. Still, Allen leads the league with nine total touchdowns. He had five total scores in the Bills’ decisive victory over the Lions after his four-touchdown performance against a strong Texans defense a week prior.