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Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III will not play, so Patrick Mahomes and the offense will have to adjust Sunday afternoon against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Walker — who is the NFL’s second-leading rusher, trailing only Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson by eight yards entering Sunday — has transformed Kansas City’s offense since arriving as a free agent in the offseason.
He racked up 872 yards rushing as part of 1,054 total yards from scrimmage with 11 total touchdowns in his debut season with the Chiefs.
Walker’s absence leaves rookie Emmett Johnson in line to absorb the workload in the backfield.
Johnson, a fifth-round pick from Nebraska, has impressed in limited reps, especially in the passing game. He has 14 catches for 237 yards and has added 26 carries for 111 yards with two touchdowns on the season.
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Presumed backup Jadyn Ott — who started the season on the Chiefs practice squad and got his first NFL carries, totaling 19 yards on three carries last week — also is inactive after being questionable with a hamstring injury. He was hurt mid-week at practice.
The leaves Kansas City, which made fullback Ben Sumeren inactive as well, with Johnson and Nate Carter. He was elevated from the practice squad along with wide receiver Jacob De Jesus, who provides a return option after Nikki Remigio was cut to make room on the roster for Josh Downs.
Carter, a second-year tailback from Michigan State, spent last season with Atlanta, where he totaled 60 yards rushing in seven games.
Downs, acquired from Indianapolis at Tuesday’s trade deadline for a pair of mid-round picks, will make his Chiefs debut.
Johnson and Ott aren’t the only ailing player for Kansas City, which will be without right tackle Jaylon Moore (ankle) for the second consecutive week. Rookie defensive tackle Peter Woods (neck) also has been ruled out for the second straight week, while fellow defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott has yet to be activated from injured reserve.
Mahomes, who injured his throwing elbow but didn’t miss a snap in last week’s win against the New York Jets, was a full participant all week at practice and doesn’t carry an injury designation into the game.
Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, the sixth pick in last April’s NFL Draft, had missed the last two games with a shoulder injury that also cost him basically two games to start the season. He will return to the lineup against the Falcons.
Despite missing roughly half the season so far, Delance has 27 tackles, including two games with a career-best 10, to go with five passes defended and an interception.
The Chiefs listed Walker, Moore, Woods and Ott inactive along with VanSumeren and cornerback Melvin Smith.
Finally, Garrett Nussmeier is inactive and listed as the emergency third QB.
Atlanta designated Andy Dalton as its emergency third quarterback.
He’s inactive along with linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm), who was listed as doubtful. Fellow quarterback Jack Strand, wide receiver Zachariah Branch, cornerbacks Robert Longerbeam and Avieon Terrell, and offensive lineman Cameron Williams round out the Falcons’ inactive list.
Kickoff is at noon. The Chiefs (6-2) are hoping to keep pushing for a postseason spot, while the Falcons (3-6) are trying to keep pace in the NFC South, the only division in the NFL in which every team has a losing record.
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