Patrick Mahomes has spent enough Sundays escaping defenders and inventing throws to make the spectacular feel routine. Kenneth Walker III is giving him another appealing option. Hand the ball off and enjoy somebody else’s highlight.

Russell Wilson knows the feeling. The Seattle Seahawks legend sees some familiar benefits in the Kansas City Chiefs’ backfield, and Walker’s 11-touchdown start has him taking the running back’s MVP candidacy seriously.

Russell Wilson Explains Kenneth Walker’s Impact on Patrick Mahomes

Discussing Walker alongside Kyle Long on NFL on CBS, Wilson acknowledged the challenge facing a running back chasing the league’s biggest individual award.

“Listen, it’s hard to win it, you know, as a running back, but there have been some great running backs in the past, guys like Marshall Faulk,”Wilson said.

He then explained why Walker deserves attention. “First of all, you know, Kenneth Walker has eased the mind of Patrick Mahomes, to me.”

For Wilson, that comfort comes from having another player capable of carrying a possession. Mahomes can still scramble, extend plays and turn a broken pocket into a defensive coordinator’s headache. Walker gives Kansas City a way to move the offense without requiring its quarterback to perform an escape act.

Wilson reached back to his own experience with Marshawn Lynch to explain the difference.

“I had a great running back in Marshawn Lynch. That changed the game for me because it allowed me to do all the magical plays, but also allowed me to also be able to give him the football and let him do the dynamic stuff, too, as well.”

Wilson specifically pointed to third-and-short situations, when a dependable runner can keep a drive alive and help finish a game.

That is an important part of his argument. Touchdowns grab attention in an awards race. The ability to take a difficult possession off a quarterback’s shoulders can matter just as much inside an offense.

Kenneth Walker III’s Impressive TD Tally Gives His MVP Case More Weight

Walker supplied a fresh example in Kansas City’s 35-12 victory over the New York Jets on Nov. 8. He rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, adding four receptions for 41 yards and two more scores.

Three touchdowns in one afternoon will get an awards conversation moving pretty quickly.

“So when you think about that with Kenneth Walker, the amount of touchdowns that he’s had already, I mean he’s had 11 touchdowns already,” Wilson said.

Through eight games, Walker had accumulated 1,044 scrimmage yards. His 11 touchdowns from scrimmage tied Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead, and he had already produced five games with multiple touchdowns.

That production has put Walker firmly in theNFL MVP conversation. Kansas City improved to 6-2 with the win over New York, giving his individual numbers a winning backdrop.

Wilson stopped short of declaring Walker the favorite. His assessment centered on how much easier the running back makes life for Mahomes, with the Lynch comparison offering a quarterback’s explanation of that value.

Walker still has plenty of season left to build his case. For now, he is giving Kansas City exactly the kind of help Wilson remembers appreciating in Seattle. A quarterback can get used to watching his running back do the damage.