Kenneth Walker III is clearly the workhorse for the Kansas City Chiefs this season, but former Nebraska football star Emmett Johnson seems to have found himself a niche in his rookie season.
It's not just that Johnson tends to be the guy the Chiefs bring in when they want to go through the air out of the backfield, but his niche is even more specific than that. Johnson tends to be the guy that KC leans on to make something out of nothing on little screens and dump-off passes. Johnson rewarded their confidence again on Sunday night, impressing all onlookers.
The former Nebraska All-American didn't get many touches against the Indianapolis Colts, with just 2 carries for 15 yards and 2 catches for 20 yards. However, it was his 12-yard catch that caught a bunch of onlookers.
Johnson took the little screen from Patrick Mahomes and danced his way past the first tackler. He then made another move that not only dodged two more tacklers but also forced the defenders to run into each other. He was finally brought down just past the line of scrimmage by a fourth Colt who had to join the pursuit.
Emmett Johnson DANCIN' out there
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2026
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Former Nebraska football star Emmett Johnson keeps carving out passing-game role with Chiefs
Two weeks into his rookie season, Emmett Johnson has created more than a few highlight reels despite his limited action. So far this year, he has 10 carries for 39 yards and 4 catches for 64 yards, and he hasn't found the end zone yet. Most rookies with that few touches wouldn't become the story nearly as often as he has.
It's a statement on just how good he looks; all eyes are on him when he touches the ball. It's also a statement on how good Kenneth Walker III has been since arriving in Kansas City in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks just days before the 2026 NFL Draft.
On Sunday night, Walker rushed for 117 yards on 24 carries. He also caught 6 passes for 61 yards. This year, Walker already has 290 yards on just 47 carries (6.2 YPC) and a touchdown. He also has 9 receptions for 79 yards and another score. Last year, Walker ran for 1,027 yards and 5 touchdowns while catching 31 passes for 282 yards.
2025 was Walker's fourth season in the NFL and his best since his rookie campaign. Not being particularly old, the real question is how the Chiefs plan to continue to split the carries between him and Johnson, not this year, but in future seasons.
Emmett Johnson is coming off a breakout season at Nebraska, where he led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 46 receptions for 370 yards and another 3 scores. That performance made him a Maxwell Award Semifinalist, Doak Walker Award Semifinalist, and Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year. He was also First-Team All-Big Ten and First-Team All-American (On3, CBSSports.com, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News) and Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp, The Athletic).
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