2025 Seahawks Most Valuable Player Rankings: #6

This player ceased to be a Seahawk minutes after free agency started in March, but he definitely made his final season in Seattle a memorable one.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be listing out my rankings for most valuable Seattle Seahawk player for the 2025 season, starting at #12 and counting down to #1.

A Make-Or-Break Season

Ken Walker was in a tricky spot coming out of the 2024 season. It was his worst year as a pro, in terms of volume (872 yards from scrimmage), efficiency (4.4 yards per touch), and health (11 games played). It was no surprise when the team didn’t choose to extend his contract in the 2025 offseason, and some even wondered if a trade was in order.

He wasn’t traded, but there was definitely a sense that he couldn’t be counted on in 2025. His skillset seemed to fit the Klint Kubiak offensive scheme well, but how was he going to hold up in the run-heavy playbook? And even if he could stay on the field, could he be efficient, knowing that his efficiency had dropped over his prior two seasons?

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) reacts in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

From day one, the strategy was pretty obvious. The Seahawks would run the ball a lot, but they would very carefully balance the load between Walker and Zach Charbonnet, Seattle’s other running back. Their skill sets complemented each other well, and both could handle double digit touches per game without messing things up or being part of the problem.

Finding His Groove

In this reduced, but still significant, role, Walker III delivered in a big way. He wasn’t great in every single game, and Charbonnet did vulture most of his touchdowns, but Ken was everything the team needed him to be when it mattered the most. He had a career high in volume (1,309 yards from scrimmage), efficiency (5.2 yards per touch), and health (all 17 games played).

It was hardly an elite season in terms of the box score numbers, but it’s worth noting that Pro Football Focus graded him out at 88.4, second-highest for any running back. How much credence PFF deserves when evaluating NFL players is a matter of debate, but what this indicates is that any lacking production had more to do with the offensive line than Walker.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) leaps into the end-zone to score a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

But it was his play at the end of the season that really made the grade. In the regular season finale (for the division title) and the three postseason games, Walker had 133, 145, 111, and 161 yards from scrimmage, as well as four touchdowns, while banking Super Bowl MVP. Whatever issues the run game had earlier in the year, it clicked in time for the big show.

The Bottom Line

When you have a run-first offense, the lead running back is going to be pretty important. And while Walker didn’t take on a full load, his efficiency and availability mattered. And if you want to pick at some of his lesser performances throughout the season, his play when the games mattered the most was elevated enough to compensate. And that’s value.

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