Seattle Seahawks insider makes the case to keep Kenneth Walker III

He was a second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III enjoyed a productive debut season. He played in 15 games, made 11 starts, and totaled 228 carries for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns. He followed that up with 15 starts in 2023, running for 905 yards and eight scores on 219 attempts.

All told, the former Spartan has played in 30 regular-season contests and amassed 2,379 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. That all changed this past season when injuries limited Walker to 11 outings. He managed only 872 yards from scrimmage and eight scores, touching the ball only 199 times.

Walker is preparing for his fourth NFL season, which also happens to be the last under his current contract. There’s been some theories that given the depth of the Seahawks’ running back room, the three-year pro could be expendable. Last week, it was a topic of discussion Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy between host Michael Bumpus and former first-round tackle Ray Roberts. The latter played a combined nine seasons with the Seahawks and Lions. Meanwhile, Bumpus was not on board with dealing away the young running back.

Anthony Walker III — Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

“I don’t know what Ken Walker would be worth, but I wouldn’t do it,” explained Bumpus. “I want to see Ken Walker operate in this new (Klint) Kubiak offense, because I think that if he is patient, if he’s watching that film, if he’s giving the wide-zone a chance and looking for the cutback lane, he could have one of those years going for 1,000 yards and having (long touchdown) runs…I think in this offense, he’s capable of doing that.”

It’s safe to say that Walker deserves the benefit of the doubt. Keep in mind that Kubiak’s offense will also feature a fullback that should benefit Seattle’s new-look offense overall. A reminder that the Seahawks have finished 28th in the league in rushing each of the past two seasons. Don’t be shocked if there is massive improvement in 2025, led by a bounce back showing from Walker.

More Seahawks on SI stories