Chiefs Sign Fifth-Round RB Emmett Johnson

May 5, 2026

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed fifth-round RB Emmett Johnson to a rookie contract, per the NFL’s official transaction wire.

Johnson is the first Chiefs’ draft pick to sign their rookie deal. Here’s a full look at their 2026 draft class:

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	6	Mansoor Delane	CB
1	29	Peter Woods	DT
2	40	R Mason Thomas	DE
4	109	Jadon Canady	CB
5	161	Emmett Johnson	RB	Signed
5	176	Cyrus Allen	WR
7	249	Garrett Nussmeier	QB

Johnson, 22, was a three-star recruit at Nebraska who redshirted as a freshman, worked his way into the rotation, then became the full-time starter his final season. He was named first-team All-American, first-team All-Big 10 and the Big 10 RB of the Year in 2025.

The Chiefs used the 161st in the fifth-round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Johnson. He’s projected to sign a four-year, $4,730,635 rookie deal with a $485,365 signing bonus.

During his four-year college career, Johnson had 458 carries for 2,460 yards (5.4 YPC) and 15 touchdowns to go along with 92 catches for 702 yards and another five touchdowns in 41 career games.