Why the Seahawks let Kenneth Walker III sign with the Chiefs

Moments after Kansas City Chiefs working again Kenneth Walker III ripped off a 33-yard landing run Sunday inside Arrowhead Stadium, the CBS broadcast confirmed a sign of the tough occasions in the Seattle Seahawks‘ backfield. It was an precise sign, too, held by a fan sporting a royal blue Seahawks jersey amid a sea of Chiefs pink.

The sign learn: “COME BACK HOME K9!! PLZ!!!”

After the 22-6 Chiefs win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Walker sat inside the locker room and scrolled by a number of textual content messages on his cellphone. Many of these messages, from household and mates, included a screenshot of that very same Seahawks fan and his sign.

“That was crazy,” Walker mentioned of the fan’s sign. “I’ve never seen something like that before.”

Minutes later, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a fair larger response, his eyes and mouth widening when he was proven the picture for the first time.

“That’s hilarious,” Mahomes mentioned. “He’s a game changer.”

In 5 video games, Walker has been simply that for the Chiefs, demonstrating how a lot of a dynamic playmaker he will be performing alongside Mahomes. The Chiefs’ main dashing final season was former working again Kareem Hunt, who had 611 dashing yards in 17 video games. Walker has already surpassed that mark, producing a league-leading 665 dashing yards, 152 scrimmage yards per recreation and eight complete touchdowns. He joined Hall of Famer Jim Brown in turning into simply the NFL second participant to report no less than 600 dashing yards, no less than six dashing scores and have a number of receiving touchdowns by the first 5 video games.

This week, Walker will return to Seattle, simply not in the method that the Seahawks fan at Arrowhead — and plenty of like him round the nation — dreamed. Instead, the early-season betting favourite for AP Offensive Player of the Year will lead the 5-0 Chiefs into Lumen Field for a Sunday primetime recreation towards his former group.

The matchup invitations a better take a look at why the Seahawks let Walker go away in free company one month after he was named MVP of their Super Bowl LX victory — a choice that has been second-guessed amid their 3-3 begin — and the way the fifth-year veteran has taken his recreation to a different degree in Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s offense.

“He’s a stud,” Reid mentioned Sunday of Walker.

Walker’s historic begin has led to many analysts suggesting he was the greatest veteran acquisition in the league this offseason after becoming a member of the Chiefs on a three-year, $43.05 million deal in March, together with $28.7 million totally assured.

Meanwhile, with out Walker, the Seahawks rank 18th in dashing yards per recreation, having struggled to search out constant manufacturing with their high two choices — rookie first-round choose Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet — sidelined with accidents. It’s certainly one of a number of points which have held their offense again below first-year coordinator Brian Fleury.

Stopping Walker on Sunday night time will likely be a problem. And seeing him in a Chiefs uniform, having put collectively a historic begin to the season in Kansas City, is likely to be tough for the Seahawks and their followers.

“I’ll just say, I love Ken,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald mentioned Wednesday when requested if he has any second ideas about Seattle letting Walker go away. “I thoroughly enjoyed him being on our football team. We’ve had some great one-on-one conversations. I thought we had a great relationship. I respect the heck out of him. … But I think there’s mixed emotions in terms of, you’re happy for him, but also, we’re trying to figure out ways to stop this guy, too, because he’s playing at a really high level.”

‘We have to maneuver ahead now’: Why did not the Seahawks re-sign Walker?

As the Seahawks put together to see Walker, are his former teammates questioning why he is not in Seattle?

“It’s crazy when you look at the tape and see, man, this guy is incredible,” security Julian Love mentioned Wednesday when requested. “We knew he was incredible. But that’s people above us.”

Walker’s game-breaking expertise was by no means a query with the Seahawks, who made him the second working again drafted in 2022 after they selected him forty first. But the group’s decision-makers had reservations about his availability courting to his rookie season, in line with sources acquainted with the group’s considering.

That helped clarify why common supervisor John Schneider spent one other second-round choose on Charbonnet in 2023, and why he did not try to lock up Walker with an extension after 2024, by which level the working again had missed 10 video games over his first three seasons. It additionally helped clarify why the Seahawks had Walker break up snaps with Charbonnet in 2025, and why — in line with a number of sources acquainted with the group’s plans — they had been solely prepared to go as excessive as roughly $10 million per season to re-sign him in March.

At the time Walker agreed to his deal with Kansas City, its $14.35 million common ranked fourth amongst working backs (it has since fallen to ninth). The Seahawks didn’t need to pay that type of cash to a again who they might have most well-liked to once more use in a timeshare.

Even if the Seahawks had been prepared to match Kansas City’s contract, the Chiefs had been providing one thing Seattle hadn’t — an opportunity to be featured.

Over his first three seasons, Walker totaled 3,251 scrimmage yards and 26 touchdowns whereas averaging roughly 17 touches per recreation. During the 2025 common season, that dropped to roughly 15 touches in comparison with 13 for Charbonnet, who averaged two extra snaps per recreation than Walker — 31 to 29.

Walker set profession highs with 1,309 scrimmage yards and 4.6 yards per carry in 2025. He scored 5 touchdowns whereas recurrently ceding alternatives to Charbonnet at the objective line. When Charbonnet tore an ACL in the divisional spherical, Walker delivered. In three playoff video games, he totaled 417 scrimmage yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging roughly 25 touches and 41 snaps. His 161-yard efficiency in the Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots earned him MVP honors.

It was the fruits of Walker’s first wholesome season in the NFL.

Over his first three seasons, he missed video games attributable to a hernia, separate ankle accidents, separate indirect accidents and a calf harm. He additionally missed chunks of spring and summer time 2025 with soreness in a foot and ankle. Then he performed in all 20 video games, didn’t miss a single follow throughout the season and was a full participant in all however 5. He appeared on the harm report in solely three out of 21 weeks the group launched one.

Was {that a} sign that, with offseason adjustments to his food regimen and sleeping habits, Walker was now sturdy sufficient to hold a full load? The Seahawks might have purchased a yr to assist decide the reply by way of the franchise tag, however the $14.3 million value was clearly prohibitive of their eyes.

Instead, they added veteran Emanuel Wilson on a one-year, $1.6 million deal and spent the thirty second choose on Price with a plan to make use of these two in addition to George Holani till Charbonnet returned. Charbonnet could return as early as Sunday, whereas Price (chest) has to spend no less than another recreation on injured reserve.

Before touchdown on IR, Price averaged 4.3 yards on 28 carries with zero touchdowns over the first three video games. Wilson (3.5 yards per carry) has been efficient in spurts, however neither he nor Holani (3.1 YPC) have a lot explosiveness, one thing Seattle’s backfield has missed with Walker gone. Then once more, the Seahawks have been contacted in the backfield on 22% of their dashing makes an attempt this season — the fifth-highest fee in the NFL, per ESPN Research — which is indicative of blocking struggles that almost all working backs would discover tough to beat.

A last judgement on the Seahawks’ resolution to let Walker go away shouldn’t be rendered till Price and Charbonnet have an opportunity to indicate whether or not they can lead an efficient run recreation. Time may even inform whether or not Walker can maintain up bodily in a featured position.

He was briefly sidelined throughout camp with ankle swelling, which Reid mentioned was attributable to a shoe problem. But Walker has but to seem on an harm report throughout his historic begin.

“We appreciate the heck out of him,” Macdonald mentioned. “Guy’s a Super Bowl MVP, helped us win the championship. These things happen. We have to move forward now, but I’ve got nothing but great memories of Ken.”

‘Bro, he is completely different’: How Walker has taken off in Kansas City

When final offseason started, the Chiefs believed bettering their dashing assault was certainly one of the high priorities. The group’s high working backs final season, Isiah Pacheco and Hunt, weren’t capable of generate chunk good points. The pair ranked final in the league final yr in combining for just one dashing try that gained greater than 20 yards. The Chiefs were attracted to Walker as a result of he might produce explosive runs, rating fourth final season in share of runs that gained 10 or extra yards.

Mahomes was impressed when he watched the Seahawks’ postseason run. He despatched a textual content message to common supervisor Brett Veach each time Walker made an enormous play for the Seahawks on their run to the title.

“Did you see that play?”

During his introductory information convention in March, Walker mentioned he joined the Chiefs, along with his contract, for 3 different causes: enjoying alongside Mahomes, the franchise’s success over the previous decade and the alternative to be a featured playmaker of their offense. Walker mentioned he additionally wished to study from a trio of coaches: Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and working backs coach DeMarco Murray.

“I think I can get a lot better,” Walker mentioned then. “I just want to be a better player.”

Throughout his teaching profession, Reid has had success with plenty of working backs, similar to Jamaal Charles, Hunt, Damien Williams, Brian Westbrook and Duce Staley. Walker additionally knew that Bieniemy and Murray, each former NFL working backs, had been distinctive at teaching the place.

Since the Chiefs started coaching camp in July, Walker has been a extra detailed ball service than he was in Seattle, Reid mentioned Monday. He has demonstrated high quality persistence in entrance of the offensive line — not at all times on the lookout for the residence run spotlight — and being decisive in when to vary instructions.

The Chiefs additionally challenged Walker to be a extra full again — one able to being an asset on all three downs.

“One of [the] things I talked to him about is ‘what can you do when the ball is not in your hands?’ Bieniemy said Thursday. “In this offense, that is how we measure success: If you do an excellent job selecting up the blitz, [if] you will be that skilled in the classroom and your work ethic in the coaching room and energy and conditioning room goes to inform me lots about who you’re as an individual. He’s performed an excellent job.”

Another feature of Walker’s play has been his elusiveness. Walker has showcased a blend of quickness, strength and agility to make defenders miss tackles at a league-high rate (52), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Even against stacked boxes, defined as eight or more defenders, Walker leads the league in yards (183) and TDs (six) on those rushing attempts.

“Bro, I be watching it stay and [defenders] are telling me on the subject, like, ‘Bro, he is completely different,'” receiver Xavier Worthy mentioned of defenders’ response to Walker. “I [don’t] should sort out him. All they are saying is, ‘He’s completely different.’ That’s it.”

During his Super Bowl run with the Seahawks final season, Walker used his velocity and imaginative and prescient to create explosive and highlight-worthy performs. No longer having to separate carries with Charbonnet, Walker has already generated seven performs with the Chiefs through which he gained no less than 20 dashing yards or extra, tied with Atlanta Falcons working again Bijan Robinson for the most in the league, regardless of enjoying one fewer recreation than Robinson.

“He knows how to set up runs,” Reid mentioned. “There’s an art to that and a patience that you’ve got to have. He’s got all of that — and he’s tough. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he’s a tough kid.”

After Sunday’s recreation towards the Chargers, Walker did not acknowledge the Seahawks when requested about the upcoming matchup.

“Right now, I’m just focused on [how] we’ve got to go critique the mistakes that we made,” Walker mentioned Sunday. “Then, once we get to that point, we’ll see.”

The Chiefs will seemingly want one other good efficiency from Walker to beat the Seahawks. The Chiefs may very well be with out large receiver Rashee Rice, who’s recovering from a strained proper hamstring, and proper sort out Jaylon Moore, who’s in the league’s concussion protocol. Mahomes and a number of other different veterans have shared their need to see Walker carry out properly — in a win — on Sunday, too.

Although Walker had by no means exceeded 228 carries in a single season in Seattle, he’s on tempo to have 408 touches and greater than 2,000 dashing yards, probably giving him the same influence to what Saquon Barkley did for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, when he led Philly to a Super Bowl title over the Chiefs in in his first yr after becoming a member of the group.

The Chiefs, after all, proceed to be wanting to see how a lot Walker, alongside Mahomes, can propel the offense.

“He’s one of the best running backs I’ve ever played with,” proper guard Trey Smith mentioned of Walker. “I like watching him score and watching him do what he does best. He’s a prolific player.”