Kenneth Walker III Was Unhappy With Workload On Seahawks

In 2023, the Seattle Seahawks made a head-scratching draft decision by taking Zach Charbonnet — marking the second straight year the team had taken a running back in the second round.

However, after Kenneth Walker III had shown full-time starter potential in 2022, general manager John Schneider looked like a genius three years later when the Seahawks' one-two punch out of the backfield helped lead them to a Super Bowl LX victory.

But that duo is no more. Walker signed a lucrative three-year, $43.05 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs as soon as the free agency legal tampering period opened. Charbonnet, who tore his ACL in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, is going to miss part of the 2026 season.

Capitalizing on his first fully healthy season in the NFL, Walker got paid. And he now has a chance to have a backfield all to himself, which was a priority for Walker after sharing the workload with Charbonnet for three seasons.

Walker "privately irked" by sharing backfield with Charbonnet

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

"The Seahawks planned all this past season to audition Zach Charbonnet for a possible takeover the lead-back role in 2026. Charbonnet shined in a job share that was partly to preserve Walker to get through all 17 games of the regular season," The Tacoma News Tribune reporter Gregg Bell reported. "He did, playing a full season for the first time in his four years with the team.

"But the job share privately irked Walker. He had 47% of the Seahawks’ offense snaps this past season, to Charbonnet’s 49%. Charbonnet was Seattle’s third-down and red-zone running back. He scored 12 rushing touchdowns. That was the most for the Seahawks since Marshawn Lynch in their last Super Bowl season of 2014."

Walker and Charbonnet are reportedly close friends and supported each other throughout their overlapping tenure with the Seahawks. That could still be true, and Walker was just more disgruntled than he let on.

"We always want to see the best for one another," Charbonnet said of Walker before the 2024 season, one year into their relationship. "He has a big play, I'm always going to be super excited. We also compete in that we want to be kind of the spark on the offense. We continue to just push each other in that aspect. I definitely have a great relationship with Ken [Kenneth Walker III] and just excited to continue to grow our relationship together and continue to push each other."

Jul 27, 2024; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

When asked about his feelings on sharing the workload in a contract year during Super Bowl week, Walker was blunt, per Bell: "How would you feel?" Walker said.

Still, Walker exploded in the playoffs, totaling 65 carries for 313 yards and four touchdowns in three games. His 161 scrimmage yards in Super Bowl LX earned him the game's MVP award, but that would also be his final game with the Seahawks.

It's an unceremonious end to what was one of the best running back tandems in the NFL, and Walker was likely to leave even if he had a full workload. The Seahawks made it clear they weren't going to deliver Walker's desired price tag, and now he's making $14.35 million per year with the Chiefs.

If Walker can continue to stay healthy, he should be worth that money. But that remains the biggest question.

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