Emmett Johnson Makes a Case for More Chiefs Touches

Johnson was a rare bright spot for Kansas City in its loss to Denver. The rookie fifth-round pick caught all five of his targets for 128 yards, including a long touchdown, and added 15 yards on his only carry. He also had a kick return that nearly helped set up a game-winning drive.

The performance came on just 13 snaps, bringing Johnson’s total to 143 yards from scrimmage. Through seven games, Pro Football Focus ranks him first in the NFL in missed-tackle rate, though he has had only 34 touches.

Kansas City has largely used Johnson to give Walker a breather rather than expand his place in the offense. Walker has been highly productive since joining the Chiefs, but his workload is on pace to approach 350 carries. His two most recent games have been his least effective with the team: he averaged 3.0 yards per carry and had no run longer than 10 yards.

Walker’s recent struggles came against strong Seattle and Denver defenses. Still, the report argues that sharing more of the work could reduce the burden on Walker and give the Chiefs another way to use Johnson’s playmaking. Head coach Andy Reid has suggested Johnson could see more action, and his outing against Denver adds to the case for doing so.