The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6 on Sunday and improved to 5-0 behind another standout performance from running back Kenneth Walker III.
Walker has already made a strong case for Offensive Player of the Year in his first season with Kansas City. But after his latest outing, Houston Texans legend J.J. Watt took his praise a step further, arguing that the Chiefs star deserves a place in the MVP conversation.
Kenneth Walker’s Historic Chiefs Start Has J.J. Watt Questioning NFL MVP Odds
The Super Bowl LX MVP rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. He helped Kansas City take control early with a 33-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and added two catches for 11 yards on three targets.
Walker has also become the first NFL player since Calvin Johnson in 2011 to score multiple touchdowns in four of his team’s first five games of a season.
With Walker rolling ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 7 matchup against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, Watt wondered why the running back was missing from the MVP odds.
“I am trying to figure out. We are here in Las Vegas. I have seen the odds on the MVP race. Where is Kenneth Walker’s name?” Watt asked during a segment on “NFL on CBS.”
“The guy has made an unbelievable change to that offense. And you also look at the offense that he left in Seattle and how they’re struggling, and what he’s done to Kansas City now.”
The numbers do indeed prove Walker’s impact. He has rushed for 665 yards this season while helping Kansas City stay unbeaten. By comparison, the Seattle Seahawks have totaled 643 rushing yards as a team and sit at 3-3.
Walker’s 665 yards also set an NFL record for the most rushing yards by a player through his first five games with a team.
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Watt went on to explain how Walker’s running ability has opened up the Chiefs’ passing game.
“The play-action game has opened up,” the analyst continued. “Everything is opened up for them because of the way he runs the ball, and he’s not just taking what’s given to him.
“That man breaks tackles at a rate that nobody else in this league is. A phenomenal player, he completely changed that offense.”
According to Next Gen Stats, Walker forced seven missed tackles against the Chargers, bringing his league-leading total to 52. He also gained 53 rushing yards and scored twice on six carries against stacked boxes, defensive formations with at least eight defenders near the line of scrimmage.
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Walker’s performances have helped him earn the top spot in the league with a PFN RB Impact Score of 94.9. Yet despite his impressive numbers and Kansas City’s unbeaten start, he has received little attention in the MVP conversation.
Quarterbacks typically dominate the race, with Josh Allen, Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence among those turning heads this season.
Walker’s individual production and the Chiefs’ success raise an interesting question: Can a running back break through in a race that typically favors quarterbacks?
The last running back to win NFL MVP was Adrian Peterson, who earned the honor with the Minnesota Vikings after the 2012 season.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.