Chiefs aim to reduce Kenneth Walker's workload 'a little bit'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One of the main objectives for Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid in Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins is to reduce the workload "a little bit" for running back Kenneth Walker III.

Reid acknowledged Monday, less than 18 hours after the Chiefs' overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts in primetime, that Walker's usage, a key component of the team's 2-0 start, has been higher than expected.

Entering Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Walker -- the Chiefs' biggest acquisition in free agency this past offseason -- leads all skill position players in the NFL with 369 all-purpose yards. He is also tied with Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs for the most touches (59) among all skill position players.

"We're lucky to have him," running backs coach DeMarco Murray, a former NFL player at the position, said Thursday of Walker. "He's a great leader and he's done a great job for us. He's prepared himself for this [workload] since [the] spring. Coach Reid puts a great [training] camp together, and the long-drive drill is legendary around here. [Walker] likes the ball a lot."

One reason Walker's production has been undeniable in boosting the Chiefs' offense is his elusive ability to make defenders miss in the open field. Walker has already recorded 29 broken tackles, according to Next Gen Stats.

But the Chiefs are comfortable in reducing his touches because rookie running back Emmett Johnson has also been productive. Through two games, Johnson has produced 103 all-purpose yards on 14 touches.

"We just want to continue to make sure we're bring our [rookies] along the right way," offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Thursday. "Emmitt's role is to continue to grow as the season progresses. What you don't want to do, when you're raising some of these young players, is put them in a situation where it could be detrimental to them. You want them feeling free and confident."

Johnson's performance against the Colts was impressive, especially when he had the ball in the open field. The rookie's best highlight occurred on a short pass near the line of scrimmage, when he made three defenders collide into each other to generate a 12-yard gain.

Murray is optimistic the Chiefs will find the proper balance against the Dolphins on when to give Walker more rest in order to increase the snaps for Johnson.

"I want Kenneth to get into a groove, and it's hard to kind of take him out," Murray said. "But Emmett's done a great job and he's still learning. He'll continue to get more opportunities. I've just got to pull the trigger and get No. 9 [Walker] out of there and put No. 10 [Johnson] in there."