Chiefs Rookie Emmett Johnson Is Making Early Noise — and NBC’s Sunday Night Football Is Along for the Ride

Minnesota native Emmett Johnson hoped his hometown Minnesota Vikings would call his name during the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, the Vikings made six picks without selecting him, and the Kansas City Chiefs ultimately grabbed the Nebraska product in the fifth round.

Through two games, Johnson has given Kansas City a productive complement to veteran running back Kenneth Walker. While his carries have been modest — ten attempts for 39 yards — his work in the passing game has stood out. Johnson has caught four passes for 64 yards, several of which featured highlight-reel agility.

His first career reception came on a checkdown from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the season opener against Denver. Johnson evaded two defenders on his way to a 25-yard gain before being tripped up just shy of the goal line. His next catch against the Broncos generated three more missed tackles and a 19-yard gain.

In Week 2, facing Indianapolis, Johnson took another short throw out of the backfield and sliced through three defenders in the open field — one of them former Vikings safety Cam Bynum. The play aired on Comcast‘s NBC during Sunday Night Football, with the network’s social account spotlighting the sequence of broken tackles.

For Comcast, the moment illustrates the value of live NFL rights. The company, which operates through segments including Media, Studios, and Residential Connectivity & Platforms, has leaned on exclusive sports programming to anchor its Peacock streaming strategy. Shares of Comcast (CMCSA) closed at $23.00 and traded recently at $22.67, down 1.46%, valuing the telecom and media giant at roughly $92.5 billion.

For Johnson, the early returns validate the scouting report that made him one of the draft’s more elusive backfield prospects. Splitting time with Walker in a Chiefs offense orchestrated by Mahomes, his receiving role gives Kansas City another mismatch weapon — and gives broadcasters another reason to keep the camera trained on the backfield.

Whether the Vikings regret passing on a hometown playmaker six times will take a full season to determine. But two weeks into his rookie year, Johnson has already delivered the kind of explosive touches that travel well on national television.

What to watch

• Johnson’s snap count and touch volume as the Chiefs’ backfield rotation evolves alongside Kenneth Walker.
• A potential Vikings–Chiefs matchup on the 2026 schedule, which would put Johnson against the team that passed on him.
• Comcast’s next quarterly earnings report, including Peacock subscriber trends tied to NFL programming.

Source: original release