Underrated Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III named potential trade candidate

One may not expect the Seattle Seahawks, who ranked 28th in rushing offense last season, to have much depth in the backfield, but they actually do.

Kenneth Walker III, an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist in 2022, is the leader of the group, but there's also Zach Charbonnet, a 2023 second-round pick who took major steps forward in Year 2. There's also Kenny McIntosh and rookie Damien Martinez, so the Seahawks have plenty of options at the position. With better blocking up front, they could do some damage on the ground.

However, this depth can also create a logjam in the backfield, which would definitely be a problem to address.

To solve this problem, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay believes the Seahawks should trade away Walker, their leading rusher in each of their past three seasons.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III celebrates after a touchdown catch against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"The Seattle Seahawks have a surprising amount of running back depth going into the 2025 season. They could capitalize on this situation and help bring some clarity to their backfield by shipping off incumbent starter Kenneth Walker III this offseason.

"One of the main reasons to part ways with Walker now is that he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract. While he showed star potential as a rookie by rushing for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 totes, he hasn’t built on that performance and has instead trended in the opposite direction."

Walker's production has indeed seen a noticeable dip over the past couple of years. In 2024, he finished with a career-low 573 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. Even taking his injury woes into account, his yards per attempt (3.7), yards per game (52.1) and attempts per game (13.9) were all career-lows as well.

If the Seahawks believe Walker won't get back to his rookie form, then it may make sense to trade him ahead of the final year of his deal. Thanks to their aforementioned depth at the position, they could survive his loss without much issue.

However, Walker is still a young player with a lot of upside, and his value may be at a low point right now. So, it might make more sense for Seattle to hang on to him and see if he can get back on track this year.

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