A lot went into the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 1 victory against the Denver Broncos. Getting Patrick Mahomes back obviously helped a ton, even if he didn't look quite like his former superstar self. Travis Kelce recording a 59-yard reception was awesome to see. The defense was ridiculously good. The story of the night, though, was Kenneth Walker III.
Walker, who signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal with Kansas City in the offseason, put together one of the best performances a Chiefs running back has had in recent memory. The Walker signing paid immediate dividends for Kansas City, and he wasn't the only 2026 free-agent signing to impress in Week 1.
RB Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
Walker did whatever he wanted on Monday, recording 173 rushing yards on 23 attempts with a touchdown and even reeling in three receptions. In one game with the Chiefs, Walker set new single-game career highs in rushing yards and scrimmage yards (191). If that's not impact, what is?
Walker isn't going to average 170 rushing yards per game, but the Chiefs likely won't need him to. What Walker did do is show that he can add an explosive element to Kansas City's offense that they've lacked ever since Kareem Hunt's prime years. A healthy Mahomes paired with this version of Walker can lead to scary results offensively for the Chiefs.
EDGE Kwity Paye, Las Vegas Raiders
The best player on the Las Vegas Raiders is undoubtedly Maxx Crosby, who recorded 1.5 sacks in the team's Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins. But as great as Crosby was, what if I told you that Kwity Paye outperformed him? The 27-year-old recorded a pair of sacks, six tackles (two of which were for losses) and four QB hits. He was all over the place, wreaking havoc for the Raiders, who held the Dolphins to just 13 points.
Paye signed a three-year, $48 million deal with the Raiders coming off a bit of a down year in 2025. While he had back-to-back eight-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024 with the Colts, Paye recorded just four sacks in 17 games in 2025. In just one game with Vegas, he recorded half the sacks he had in all of last season. This Raiders team probably won't be any good, but the duo of Crosby and Paye up front has a chance to make their defense fun to watch.
TE Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
The New York Giants earned their biggest Week 1 victory in years, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 on Sunday Night Football. Most of the attention postgame was on the likes of Jaxson Dart and John Harbaugh, and understandably so, but are we sure the Giants win this game without the performance of Isaiah Likely? The 26-year-old had eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
This isn't the first time Likely has had a huge Week 1 showing, as in 2024 he had over 100 yards and nearly caught the game-tying touchdown (only for his toe to be just over the endline). That was with the Baltimore Ravens, though. Sunday's performance came in his Giants debut, and Likely couldn't have been much better. The tight end inked a three-year, $40 million deal with New York, expecting to be a big piece in its offense, and again, I'm not sure they win this game without him. If he can stay healthy, the Giants could have a major contributor on their hands.
CB Riq Woolen, Philadelphia Eagles
Signing Riq Woolen to a one-year, $12 million deal was a bit of a risky proposition for the Philadelphia Eagles. Sure, Woolen has always been talented and had some outstanding moments during his time with the Seattle Seahawks, but he saw a massive dip in playing time in 2025 and had to settle for a one-year prove-it deal on the open market. If Week 1 is any indication, he's well on his way towards "proving it."
A look at the box score wouldn't show you much, but Woolen was targeted four times and didn't allow a single reception. Whether he was covering Terry McLaurin or somebody else on the outside, Woolen didn't give up anything. His play, with Quinyon Mitchell on the other side, helped lead Philadelphia to a narrow Week 1 victory.
Riq Woolen in his first start as an Eagle (37 coverage snaps):
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) September 13, 2026
🔒4 targets
🔒0 catches allowed
🔒0 yds
Prettttty good.
WR Kendrick Bourne, Arizona Cardinals
Not many NFL fans cared when Kendrick Bourne signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals, as he was joining a team many projected to finish at the bottom of the NFC West in a tertiary role. Well, Bourne was Arizona's best receiver in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers, reeling in eight receptions for 75 yards. For reference, the duo of Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. combined for just six receptions and 89 yards.
Bourne probably won't average 75 yards per game the entire season, but Week 1 was a reminder that he can be a key contributor in Arizona. Just last season, Bourne was a 500-yard receiver. He has as many as 800 yards and five touchdowns in a single campaign. He looks like someone who can help keep this Cardinals offense humming.
EDGE Dre'Mont Jones, Patriots
Most of the discussion following the New England Patriots' Week 1 loss in Seattle revolved around Drake Maye and the offense, and understandably so, but can we talk about how well the defense played? The Patriots scored only 10 points and still had a chance to win the game because of how well their defense played, and Dre'Mont Jones, a veteran who signed a three-year, $36.5 million deal in the offseason, played a big role in that.
Jones recorded a sack and was credited with six pressures by PFF. His 80.7 PFF grade was good for 13th out of 98 edge defenders. The Patriots made it a point to improve their pass rush, and while their offense needs to be better for them to get back to the Super Bowl, early returns on Jones couldn't have been much better.
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