“Incredibly Demeaning”: Ex-Chiefs Star Slams Dan Orlovsky for Claiming Patrick Mahomes Secretly Directs Kenneth Walker

Former Chiefs star Mitchell Schwartz did not like what he heard about Kenneth Walker on ESPN’s NFL Live. Dan Orlovsky said Patrick Mahomes appears to give the running back hand signals about the run game, and Schwartz fired back on X:

“This feels incredibly demeaning to Kenneth Walker that you think he needs to be told what a simple 4 down front is and how that’s going to be blocked. And what a Bear front is, etc. Like he doesn’t know how to read basic defensive fronts and find the DL he’s supposed to key.”

Schwartz was reacting to a clip Orlovsky shared himself. In the post, Orlovsky wrote that Mahomes was “secretly” telling Walker the run game calls and called it “very cool.” In the video, he made sure Chiefs fans did not see it as a weakness:

“There’s definitely some communication non-verbally that Patrick’s giving Kenneth Walker when it comes to the run game. And just for Chiefs fans, this isn’t something that’s going to make you predictable, or teams are going to be able to steal it.”

A former Chiefs insider fires back at a bold media take about Mahomes' influence. Get the full breakdown and stay ahead of NFL's biggest debates with our daily newsletter.

Orlovsky then walked through the frames. He said Mahomes’ left hand looked like a fist against a four-man front, which he read as a sign that the run should stay front-side with a double team. Later, he said Mahomes held out one finger against a five-man front, which Orlovsky believed Mahomes used to indicate “five guys.”

“I think those hand signals are a way where Patrick is communicating to Kenneth Walker, ‘This is what the run game blocking is, code-wise or call side,’ and it’s giving him an advantage of what to expect when it comes to those blocks.”

That is where Schwartz drew the line. He spent years blocking in the same trenches and was able to point out that this was nothing out of the ordinary. Schwartz won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs.

It also helps to know how good Walker has been. Orlovsky said on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week that Walker deserved MVP over Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, and the numbers back up the buzz. Through five games, Walker has an NFL-high 665 rushing yards on 106 carries, 6.3 yards per carry, and eight total touchdowns.

Walker set the stage with 173 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in September. The game also marked Mahomes’ return from his ACL and LCL tears.

The two do work closely on the field, though that does not confirm what Orlovsky described. Kenneth Walker has said Mahomes usually spots the cutback before he does. In the Chiefs’ 22-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, Mahomes even threw a block that helped spring a red-zone touchdown run, and he explained why Walker keeps him on his toes.

“With Kenneth, you’ve got to be ready.”

Walker is putting forward a season for the books. This season, he’s already recorded four 100+ rushing-yard games. He caused some serious damage in the Raiders game, rushing for a season-high 177 yards.

Walker’s prowess is already established by the tape. He doesn’t really need help sneaked in to make all these big plays. Walker has already won the Super Bowl MVP last season with the Seattle Seahawks, rushing for 135 yards in that game.

Patrick Mahomes, ever the team player, is also looking out for his star RB for their upcoming matchup against the Seahawks.

“I know it’s going to be a special moment for him…,” the QB said. “You get to go back to a place where you built your career and won a Super Bowl… at the end of the day, you’ve got to win a football game… He knows we’ve got his back.”

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