Kenneth Walker III's Ankle Injury Caused by Shoe Issue, Chiefs' Andy Reid Says

New Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III has missed the last two days of action in training camp, and Andy Reid explained his absence on Wednesday.

The Chiefs' head coach told reporters that Walker has been dealing with ankle swelling because of a shoe issue.

The good news for the Chiefs is that Walker was not wearing a boot or a brace on his foot, though he was still held out of practice on Wednesday.

Walker, a second-round pick in 2022, is entering his first season with the Chiefs after spending the first four years of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. He's coming off a season in which he recorded 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns along with 282 receiving yards.

He rushed for 135 yards in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, enough for him to earn Super Bowl MVP.

Kansas City signed Walker to a three-year, $43.05 million contract this offseason as it looks to ramp up the backfield and get back to the playoffs after missing last season.

The rushing attack doesn't extend much further behind Walker. His backup is Emari Demercado, who had just 312 rushing yards for the Arizona Cardinals last year. Behind Demercado is rookie running back Emmett Johnson, a fifth-round pick out of Nebraska.

While Walker's injury doesn't appear to be too serious, it adds to a list of ailments the Chiefs are dealing with in training camp.

Safety Chamarri Conner (knee), defensive end Ashton Gillotte (foot), safety Alohi Gilman (back), offensive lineman C.J. Hanson (undisclosed), wide receiver Jimmy Holiday (quad), quarterback Chris Oladokun (concussion), left tackle Josh Simmons (back) and defensive end Tyreke Smith (hamstring) all did not practice on Tuesday.