Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are directly responsible for the latest example of nepotism in the National Football League. The team is bringing in Mahomes’ half-brother, Rice tight end Graham Walker, for a tryout at the Chiefs’ rookie minicamp this weekend.
News of Walker’s tryout with the Chiefs drew a predictable reaction from their sister, who joyfully reacted to the news on her Instagram story. Zoe Mahomes shared a photoshopped picture of Walker in a Chiefs uniform with the caption, “Let’s go. Well, this would be cool!!! Family.”
Who Is Patrick Mahomes’ Half-Brother, Graham Walker?
Walker began his college career at Brown University before transferring to Rice University for his senior season. Over four collegiate seasons, Walker recorded 149 receptions, 1,717 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns. He burst onto the scene during his freshman campaign, finishing with 53 receptions, 658 receiving yards, and six touchdowns against Ivy League competition.
Walker struggled to replicate that early success, failing to reach those numbers again during his time at Brown and Rice. Walker did haul in six more touchdowns during his junior season, but his receptions (44) and receiving yards (515) fell short of his year-one production.
Initially planning to play wide receiver at Rice, Walker later switched to tight end, finishing his one season in the American Athletic Conference with 24 receptions, 252 receiving yards, and no touchdowns. He went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Can Patrick Mahomes’ Half-Brother Graham Walker Earn a Contract with the Kansas City Chiefs?
The Chiefs are hosting 87 players at this weekend’s rookie minicamp, with 60 of them on a tryout basis. That may make it difficult for Walker to stand out among his peers, but he may not have to.
While it remains an uphill battle for Walker to secure a long-term job with the Chiefs, his direct ties to Kansas City’s franchise quarterback could give him an unfair advantage this weekend. Simply put, he might have a better chance than others to turn his tryout into a contract.
That may be difficult to accept, but it’s the likely reality of his unique position. While the Chiefs aren’t making final roster decisions based on Mahomes’ family tree, keeping his brother on the roster through training camp wouldn’t be the end of the world.
However, if he is treated the same as every other tryout player, Walker faces an uphill battle to make it past this weekend. While a handful of tryout players are likely to earn short-term contracts after this weekend, Walker would need to show more than he did during his college career to be considered for one of those spots.