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 is the only two-game 100-yard rusher.
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 in two games. Kansas City had 44 of them all season in 2025. With Patrick Mahomes returning from a season-ending knee injury, Walker’s presence on the field has kept the Texas Tech product from having to create every big play on offense.
But Walker has also 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 tight box on 26.7% of his hurries last season, according to Next Generation Stats.
So defenses have to account for the presence of Mahomes’ passing game, and Kansas City has given Walker advantages in the running game. However, all is not perfect in Kansas City. Although the Chiefs would love to have Walker back as their workhorse, there’s a reason he was in a job with Zach Charbonnet in Seattle — nagging injury concerns and his durability.
Walker already has 56 touches in the league. 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 391 touchdowns this season, which would be the most in a single season of his career. Kansas City would be wise to do something similar, using talented rookie Emmett Johnson to spell Walker so he can extend the length of the season.
Now, let’s dive into my picks for the top three of all major awards heading into Week 3.
Offensive Player of the Year
The weak: Jaxon Smith-Njigba can’t keep this up, can he? A year after dominating the league, winning offensive player of the year in 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 offense last year.
Derrick Henry, meanwhile, has a chance to rebound from such a performance in a loss to New Orleans (68 yards, one touchdown) when he faces a Dallas defense that allowed 174 rushing yards in a game in Brazil.
Defensive Player of the Year
The weak: Dallas Turner has emerged as the leading rusher for one of the best defenses in the league for Minnesota. He is 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 weak: Give Kevin O’Connell credit for winning two games early in the season with a backup quarterback in Carson Wentz. As a result, Minnesota has been arguably the biggest surprise in the first two games of the season, shocking Chicago in Week 2.
Joe Brady has lived up to high expectations in Buffalo, going 2-0 against a pair of playoff-caliber opponents, though he has one of the best players in the league in Josh Allen.
Finally, Kyle Shanahan has struggled this offseason, but has his team atop the best division in football. The 49ers have picked up two decisive wins, upsetting the Rams in Week 1 before taking down the Dolphins in Week 2.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
The weak: 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 receptions (154) and receiving touchdowns (2), posting 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 starting quarterback to have a snap in two games this season.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
The weak: Anthony Jr. Hill leads the league with 26 combined tackles, but Josiah Trotter continues to make the biggest 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 the Raiders have surprised so far.
MVP
The weak: Brock Prudy continues to set a high standard in efficiency. He has the most games with at least 140 passer rating (eight) over the first five years by a quarterback in league history. He had a 149.1 passer rating in the 49ers’ win over the Dolphins, throwing as many touchdowns (2) as 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.
However, Allen leads the league with nine total hits. He had five total tackles in the Bills’ decisive win over the Lions after his four-hit performance against a stout Texans defense a week earlier.