Emmett Johnson - NFL News, Rumors, & Updates

Well-positioned for role Johnson is in line to be Kenneth Walker's backup for the Chiefs this season.

Impact The Chiefs had final roster cutdowns Sunday and waived veteran Emari Demercado, clearing a path to a role for Johnson. The rookie out of Nebraska impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. Kansas City also has Brashard Smith on the roster, but Johnson may be the handcuff to target for fantasy managers.

6 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

NFL Rookie Running Back Evolution: Emmett Johnson is built for Andy Reid's offense Emmett Johnson was one of the breakout stories of the NFL preseason. The Kansas City Chiefs rookie, selected in the sixth round of the 2026...

6 DAYS AGO • NFLMOCKS.COM

Nebraska's latest NFL bargain is forcing Chiefs to find him regular-season role When it took days and days for Emmett Johnson to get selected by the Kansas City Chiefs, there were more than a few people surprised that th...

AUGUST 30 • HUSKERCORNER.COM

Productive with nine touches Friday Johnson rushed seven times for 39 yards and brought in both targets for 15 yards in the Chiefs' 9-9 preseason tie with the Seahawks on Friday.

Impact The rookie fifth-round pick put together a strong finish to an encouraging preseason, one where he rushed 26 times for 123 yards and a touchdown and adding a 6-35-0 line on seven targets. Johnson's primary competition for a depth role, Brashard Smith, had a productive 16-carry, 72-yard effort in his own right Friday, so it remains to be seen where each will slot on the depth chart behind the top duo of Kenneth Walker (ankle) and Emari Demercado.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Pair of Nebraska alumni may turn Chiefs preseason flashes into huge regular-season roles For former Nebraska football players Emmett Johnson and DeShon Singleton, this preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs is less about making th...

AUGUST 24 • HUSKERCORNER.COM

Emmett Johnson's Chiefs ceiling is tantalizing but comes with one big catch The Kansas City Chiefs have been dormant when it comes to explosive plays from the running back position. That stretches into the last few y...

AUGUST 24 • ARROWHEADADDICT.COM

Rush TD in preseason loss Johnson rushed seven times for 25 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for 10 yards in the Chiefs' 16-15 preseason loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday. He also re...

Impact The rookie fifth-round pick was the third Chiefs running back to get a touch behind veterans Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado. The highlight of Johnson's night came late in the third quarter, when he recorded a one-yard touchdown run after getting the ball to the Buccaneers' three-yard line two plays earlier with a four-yard rush. Johnson was outgained on the ground by his primary competition for a depth role behind Walker and Demercado -- Brashard Smith, who had 37 rushing yards -- and both hopefuls are likely to see extended playing time again in Friday's home preseason finale against the Seahawks.

AUGUST 23 • ROTOWIRE

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Highlights

AUGUST 23 • YOUTUBE

Chiefs' Butker kicks 69-yard field goal, but has late misses as Daniels rallies Bucs to 16-15 win

Rookie Jalon Daniels led three second-half scoring drives to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rally for a 16-15 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs

AUGUST 23 • Associated Press

TOUCHDOWN! Emmett Johnson Scores a Rushing Touchdown vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson scores a rushing touchdown from one yard out.

AUGUST 23 • CHIEFS.COM

Emmett Johnson wastes no time showing Chiefs they may have found a steal The Kansas City Chiefs played a game of football over the weekend, losing to the Rams in their preseason opener. Emmett Johnson didn't disap...

AUGUST 17 • ARROWHEADADDICT.COM

Who Will Lead Nebraska in Rushing Yards in 2026? Three Huskers Who Could Replace Emmett Johnson One of Nebraska's biggest challenges this season is replacing Emmett Johnson. The junior running back was the star of the offense last seaso...

AUGUST 17 • SI.COM

Andy Reid endorses Emmett Johnson as RB impresses in Chiefs' first preseason game vs Rams After the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, Andy Reid was heavily impressed with running back Emmett Johnson.

AUGUST 16 • BOLAVIP.COM

Chiefs HC Andy Reid Left Impressed by Rookie Emmett Johnson's Preseason Debut Head coach Andy Reid named rookie running back Emmett Johnson a major bright spot despite the Chiefs' preseason loss to the Rams.

AUGUST 16 • SI.COM

Logs 69 yards in preseason loss Johnson turned 12 carries into 59 yards and caught all three of his targets for 10 yards during the Chiefs' 20-12 loss to the Rams in Saturday's preseason game.

Impact Johnson led all running backs in both carries and rushing yards and finished second in receiving yards behind Brashard Smith (12). Johnson drew praise from head coach Andy Reid following Saturday's game, who noted that the rookie fifth-rounder "ran hard and aggressively...he's one of the positives coming out of this." Johnson is currently listed as the Chiefs' RB3 ahead of Smith and behind Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado, but more performances like Saturday's could push Johnson over the line for the backup role ahead of Demercado by the start of the regular season. The Chiefs' next preseason game takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 against the Buccaneers.

AUGUST 16 • ROTOWIRE

Emmett Johnson's Chiefs teammates robbed him of an even bigger opening statement Despite being a surprisingly late selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson has plenty of believers insid...

AUGUST 15 • HUSKERCORNER.COM

First-round pick Ty Simpson throws 2 TD passes, rallies Rams past Chiefs 20-12 in preseason debut

First-round pick Ty Simpson threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, helping the Los Angeles Rams rally for a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs

AUGUST 15 • Associated Press

Emmett Johnson Shifts Through Rams Defense for 12-yard Run Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson gains 12 yards on the ground against the Los Angeles Rams.

AUGUST 15 • CHIEFS.COM

Listed as RB3 on unofficial depth chart Johnson was listed as the No. 3 RB on the Chiefs' unofficial depth chart ahead of the team's preseason opener, Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star reports.

Impact While preseason depth charts can often be taken with a grain of salt, slotting behind starter Kenneth Walker does remain up for grabs, with Emari Demercado (listed second) and Brashard Smith (listed fourth) also in the mix. With that in mind, GM Brett Veach noted that "Smith, who was here last year...adds value as a dynamic speed element and his return game as a punt kick returner," while "Demercado is a veteran guy that has always been good in the pass protection game, and he's a reliable receiver." In reference to Johnson, who the team took in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Veach said, "he has more of a total skillset. He's just young. So I think once he figures out how to consistently throw his hat and hands in there on a consistent basis, I think we all know what he can do running the ball, and he's a really good route runner, too." With all that in mind, it's plausible that Demercado opens the season in a change-of-pace role, with Johnson perhaps next in line for early-down work if Walker misses time, while Smith provides depth and special teams utility.

AUGUST 12 • ROTOWIRE

Emmett Johnson on Focus for Preseason Game 1: 'Whatever Opportunity I Get, Making the Most Out of It' | Press Conference 8/8 Emmett Johnson speaks to the media following training camp practice on Saturday, August 8.

AUGUST 8 • CHIEFS.COM

Losing ground early on? Jesse Newell of The Athletic indicates that so far in training camp practices Johnson has been fourth in the team's RB pecking order behind top option Kenneth Walker, as well as b...

Impact While Newell indicates that the Chiefs were thrilled to land Johnson in the fifth round of April's draft and suggests that the rookie's long-term prospects with the team remain unchanged, it looks like he may have some ground to make up ahead of Week 1. Things could of course change as the summer progresses and Johnson continues to develop, but for now his role behind Walker has yet to be determined, while the team's RB2 job remains up for grabs. The Chiefs' preseason opener is Aug. 15 against the Rams, with added context regarding backfield slotting presumably set to arrive via the release of the team's first unofficial depth chart prior to that contest.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Emmett Johnson must solve one problem to earn Andy Reid's trust Kenneth Walker may have been KC's biggest running back addition, but rookie Emmett Johnson is the player to keep an eye in St. Joseph later...

JULY 20 • ARROWHEADADDICT.COM

Emmett Johnson showed his post-Nebraska draft disrespect was channeled in productive ways Emmett Johnson waited longer to hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft than anyone thought he would. There simply wasn’t demand for runn...

JULY 20 • HUSKERCORNER.COM

Nebraska Football's 2027 Commits: Running Back Amir Brown It might be time to give E.J. Barthel his flowers. Nebraska's running backs coach developed Emmett Johnson from an unheralded recruit and pa...

JULY 17 • SI.COM

Emmett Johnson is winning over Chiefs fans one Kansas City meal at a time The Chiefs' rookie running back is using his YouTube series to explore local flavors and connect iwth fans.

JUNE 8 • ARROWHEADADDICT.COM

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Chiefs' Butker kicks 69-yard field goal, but has late misses as Daniels rallies Bucs to 16-15 win

First-round pick Ty Simpson throws 2 TD passes, rallies Rams past Chiefs 20-12 in preseason debut