Andy Reid Sees Shades of Former All-Pro RB in Chiefs Rookie

If there's been one weakness of the Kansas City Chiefs during the Patrick Mahomes era, it's the running game.

In his eight seasons as the starting QB, Mahomes has never had a 1,000-yard rusher.

But KC took two big steps in remedying that this offseason in signing two-time 1,000-yard rusher and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and drafting Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson - a player head coach Andy Reid compared to former All-Pro RB LeSean McCoy.

"First of all, he's got a good feel for things, smart kid, good kid," Reid stated. "And he's got that lateral quickness, who we had LeSean McCoy here for a little bit - he's got a little bit of that to him, where he can shift gears and still get himself u-field quickly.

"I like the way he pass-protects, I like the way he catches the football - you know it looks like he can do that here, we're not going live stuff, but the catching part he does easy. Probably most of all, I just like his smarts."

Why It Matters

McCoy played just one season with the Chiefs, rushing for 465 yards and four touchdowns near the end of his career, but the Pittsburgh alum was one of, if not the most elusive runner in the NFL during his 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills.

So the fact that Reid sees similarities between the six-time Pro Bowler and NFL rushing leader and Johnson is high praise for the rookie who rushed for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns last year at Nebraska.

Reid's comments could also hint at what kind of role Johnson could have in 2026.

Most expect Walker to get the lion's share of carries, but Johnson may see the field more in a receiving role.

The 22-year-old caught 39 and 46 passes for 286 yards and 370 yards, respectively, in 2024 and 2025, and given McCoy's track record as a receiving threat out of the backfield (he had 518 career receptions for 3,898 yards and 16 TDs), it's possible Johnson could be deployed in a similar way.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 5:08 PM.