Kenneth Walker III Leads Top Veteran Acquisitions Four Weeks into 2026 NFL Season

The idea is for veterans acquired via free agency or trade to help improve a team, whether it's going from mediocrity to the playoffs or from a playoff participant to a Super Bowl contender. That's what happened when the Seattle Seahawks pivoted to quarterback Sam Darnold after contract extension talks with Geno Smith stalled prior to his trade to the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2025. The Seahawks signed Darnold to a team-friendly three-year, $100.5 million contract averaging $33.5 million per year, worth a maximum of $115.5 million through incentives during free agency.

Darnold was named to the Pro Bowl and the Seahawks secured the top seed in the NFC for the postseason with a 14-3 record en route to a Super Bowl LX win after missing the playoffs in 2024. He really earned his keep by connecting on 25 of 36 passes (69.4%) for 356 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions to have a 127.8 passer rating during Seattle's 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game.

Here's a look at several veteran acquisitions that are making a difference as the quarter mark of the 2026 NFL season arrives.

Kenneth Walker III, RB

Walker was clearly the best running back available in free agency. The Chiefs signed Walker to a three-year, $43.05 million contract averaging $14.35 million per year, with $28.7 million fully guaranteed and up to $45 million in incentives.

Walker has added a dimension the Chiefs haven't had ever since Patrick Mahomes took over at quarterback in 2018 by providing a lethal rushing attack. The Super Bowl LX MVP is leading the NFL in both rushing yards and yards from scrimmage (combined rushing and receiving yards) with 537 and 621, respectively. Walker is also averaging a league high 6.2 yards per carry and has six touchdowns (four rushing and two receiving).

Walker has joined Hall of Famers Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson as the only player to ever rush for at least 170 yards twice in his team's first four games of a season. The fast start earned Walker AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for September.

Kirk Cousins, QB

The Raiders signed Cousins to a fully guaranteed one-year, $11.3 million deal to serve as a placeholder or bridge quarterback until 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza , who was 2026's first overall pick, is ready to take the reins. The 38-year-old is showing he has more gas left in the tank than expected. Cousins has thrown for 1,026 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions while connecting on 64.6% of his passes (93 of 144 attempts) for a 99.5 passer rating. His 11 touchdown passes are tied for the league lead with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy .

The 11 touchdown passes are the most for the first four games of a season in Raiders history. Cousins is also the first quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in each of the Raiders' first three games of a season.

The Raiders are off to a surprising 3-1 start. The three wins match last season's win total.

Trent McDuffie, CB

The Rams acquired McDuffie, who was entering a contract year, from the Chiefs, exchanging a 2026 first-round pick (29th overall), a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick in March to help address the most glaring roster weakness, cornerback, for the Super Bowl contender. McDuffie received a four-year, $124 million contract extension in connection with the trade, making him the NFL's highest-paid cornerback upon signing at $31 million per year. The deal contained a then-cornerback record $100 million in overall guarantees.

McDuffie is living up to his contract. Opposing quarterbacks are only completing 27.8% of passes (5 of 18 attempts) for a 21.1 passer rating this season when targeting McDuffie, according to Pro Football Focus.

Dexter Lawrence, DT

The Bengals brought Lawrence over from the New York Giants in an April trade, giving up a 2026 first-round pick (10th overall) to anchor the NFL's worst run defense last season, which allowed 147.1 rushing yards per game. Lawrence received a one-year, $28 million extension as part of the trade. With Lawrence manning the middle of Cincinnati's defensive line along with Jonathan Allen , who was signed after being released in March by the Minnesota Vikings , the Bengals are eighth with 99.5 rushing yards allowed per game. Lawrence's impact isn't just limited to the run. His three sacks are tied for second in the NFL among interior defensive linemen.

Deebo Samuel, WR

Sometimes, bridges aren't burned when a player wants a change of scenery. The 49ers brought Samuel back during the early part of the preseason on a one-year, $4.1 million deal worth up to $7 million through incentives after a one-year hiatus with the Washington Commanders because of a 2025 trade request that was granted. Samuel has played a bigger role than expected because of a rash of injuries at wide receiver ( Christian Kirk , Ricky Pearsall , Demarcus Robinson , De'Zhaun Stribling ). His versatility has been on display. Samuel is 10th in the NFL with 490 all-purpose yards (combined rushing, receiving and returns). Samuel has caught 14 passes for 185 yards with three touchdowns, carried the football seven times for 74 yards and returned nine kickoffs for 231 yards. He continues to excel in picking up yards after catching the football. Samuel's 10.6 yards after catch per reception tops the NFL, according to PFF.

Isaiah Likely, TE

Likely finally got a chance to step out of Mark Andrews ' immense shadow in Baltimore by following new Giants head coach John Harbaugh to New York in free agency. The Giants signed Likely to a three-year, $40 million deal averaging $13,333,333 per year, with $26 million in guarantees, and worth up to $47.2 million through incentives. Likely has become a focal point of New York's passing attack with a team leading 35 targets. His 22 receptions and 190 receiving yards are respectively tied for third and rank 10th among NFL tight ends this season.

Nakobe Dean, LB

The Raiders transformed their linebacker unit in free agency by signing Quay Walker and Dean to three-year deals worth $40.5 million and $36.03 million, respectively, containing $28 million and $23 million of guarantees. Dean has made a greater mark. He has 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks and is tied for the league lead with three forced fumbles. Dean has been on the field for 254 of Las Vegas' 258 defensive snaps (98.45%).

Kalif Raymond, WR

The Bears had a void to fill at wide receiver after trading D.J. Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick in March. Raymond signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract worth up to $5.3 million through incentives to compete for the third wide receiver job, where he reunited with head coach Ben Johnson , who was his offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions for three years (2022 through 2024). He is surprisingly leading the Bears with 21 receptions for 220 receiving yards and one touchdown. Raymond is averaging a career-best 55 receiving yards per game.

Cameron Thomas, EDGE

Thomas signed a one-year, $3.095 million deal with $1.5 million fully guaranteed in March during free agency to provide depth as a situational pass rusher. He is capitalizing on the torn left ACL Jalon Walker suffered in the preseason and James Pearce Jr.'s eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Thomas has 19 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, quarterback hits and quarterback hurries), which are tied for eighth in the NFL, while being on the field for 197 of Atlanta's 273 defensive snaps (60.07%).

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/agents-take-kenneth-walker-iii-best-veteran-acquisitions-nfl/)._