NFL insider says Ken Walker's breakout game a "very good sign" for Seahawks

Of all the positives to come from the Seattle Seahawks thrilling 38-37 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams Thursday night, Kenneth Walker's explosive performance may have been the most overlooked.

And yet for the now 12-3 Seahawks, it may also be the most impactful.

With all the attention being given to the the late game heroics of Rashid Shaheed, Sam Darnold and others, Walker's 164 yard performance can't be understated. His 46-yard catch and run on Seattle's third play from scrimmage set up a touchdown to give the home team an early 7-0 lead. Later, just three minutes into the second half he took an inside handoff from Darnold, bounced it outside, and raced untouched for a 55-yard touchdown that gave Seattle a 14-13 lead at the time.

Walker finished with 11 rushes for 100 yards and the touchdown, while adding 64 receiving yards on three catches.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport certainly took notice, pointing out just how important Walker could be to the Seahawks' offense as they prepare to advance to the playoffs for the first time under head coach Mike Macdonald.

"If they are going to run the ball like this, and if he is going to run the ball like this and be the dependable back he has been…. It makes them unbelievably dangerous. A lot of good signs for Seattle (Thursday)."
Ian Rapoport, NFL Network insider

It's been an uneven 2025 season for Walker as he looks to parlay the final year of his rookie contract into a lucrative financial haul, either in Seattle or elsewhere. While his 4.6 average yards per carry ties his career high, he's been locked in a virtual timeshare with teammate Zach Charbonnet. Since the offseason it's been apparent the Seahawk's coaches have been intent on managing Walker's workload both in practice and games. Through 15 games this season Walker has yet to carry the ball 20 times, and Thursday's 100-yard rushing performance was only the second time this year he's eclipsed the century mark. Meanwhile, he's on pace to catch only 28 passes compared to 46 a year ago.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Seahawks watched as RB Kenneth Walker III starred against the #Rams, a very good sign if that continues. pic.twitter.com/ZgNrksSe05
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 20, 2025

Minor injuries have plagued Walker throughout his career, and there were whispers in training camp that coaches were frustrated by his inability to practice every day, the lingering effect of a serious high ankle sprain suffered late in the 2024 season..

But now Walker appears to be healthy. If he plays in Seattle's final two games it will mark the first time in his career that he's appeared in every contest. At the same time it looks like he's got his juice back, capable once again of turning any touch into a long gain.

The question of whether the Seahawks will want to pay the going rate to bring Walker back next year remains to be seen, but there's no denying his value to Seattle's offense when he's rolling. After Thursday's thrilling performance under the Thursday Night Football lights, "K9" served notice that he could be a problem for opposing defenses in the postseason.

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